


Perfect Stranger

by Rising_Phoenix



Series: Perfect Stranger [1]
Category: Black Sails, Versailles (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Surfers, Businessmen, Cheating (not of the main characters), Gay Sex, Getting to Know Each Other, Homophobic Language, M/M, Same-Sex Marriage, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-12 19:54:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21481936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rising_Phoenix/pseuds/Rising_Phoenix
Summary: William Manderly thinks himself to be a rational man who has his life planned out to the last detail. He lives and breathes to advance in his job and to be the best boyfriend his girlfriend could ask for. When he is about to be finally promoted, he thinks this to be the perfect moment to propose - but then everything changes within one fateful night...
Relationships: BIlly Bones/Eleanor Guthrie (past), Billy Bones/Ben Gunn, Chevalier de Lorraine/Philippe d'Orléans | Monsieur (Versailles 2015)
Series: Perfect Stranger [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1583170
Comments: 79
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TuridTorkilsdottir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuridTorkilsdottir/gifts), [OnlyOneWoman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnlyOneWoman/gifts), [Realart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Realart/gifts), [sleebyama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleebyama/gifts), [Adahyus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adahyus/gifts).

> This story is dedicated to my cheerleaders here and on Twitter!
> 
> You guys mean the world to me and without you, these past weeks could have broken me.  
Thank you for giving me strength, hope and light in the darkness.  
Love you,  
Phoenix

** **

William stood on the terrace overlooking the beach, facing the calm ocean and blew out cigarette smoke into the night. He could not even remember how many times he had tried to stop this bad habit, had often gone weeks without craving to smoke, and then when he needed his nerves to calm down, he relapsed.

Closing his eyes, he took another drag and let the nicotine flood his lungs, desperately trying to hold back the tears of disappointment, of resignation, of humiliation.

This should have been his evening.

This should have been the evening on which he would build the fundament of the life he had always wanted.

And now, everything came tumbling down into ruins.

When he had gotten up this morning, he had been full of plans. He had spent his whole day with a smile and many had looked at the usually serious man with surprise, but he had not bothered to explain his good mood and continued with the day that should have ended in happiness.

How that had changed.

The collar of his tailored, white shirt was open after he had gotten rid of his tie, and the ocean breeze was cool on his skin. He closed his eyes and blew out the smoke once again, throwing then the stump of the cigarette he had consumed down on the terrace floor and put a foot on it.

Putting his hands on the railing, he leaned forward with still closed eyes, trying to breathe, but even though he did, every breath he took was painful and shaking. A voice in his head asked him why he even bothered breathing. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

With a sign and rolling his shoulders like he often did when he felt tense, he pushed himself off the railing and turned to walk the few, wide stairs made of natural stone down that connected the terrace to the beach. The sand felt soft under his leather shoes, and he remembered how a few days ago he would have cared that the expensive item of clothing would be ruined by sand and salt, but now he did not care. The ocean had always attracted him, and tonight the crashing of the waves and the air was seemed so much chiller closer to the water felt like a magnet to him.

He stood a few meters away from the shore, watching how the waves always ended only inches away from his feet. Watching the waves, the sea foam, which was glistening in the evening light that was almost gone now, was mesmerizing, and William stared at the movement of the tide for a long time.

He put a hand into the pocket of his jacket, where he balled a fist around the box he had hidden there, and new pain and anger rose in him.

The perfect plan. The perfect evening. The perfect life.

All ruined.

All gone.

He pulled the box out of his pocket and got ready to throw it into the ocean to never be seen again, to never remind him again of the ultimate defeat he had suffered tonight.

Raising his arm and taking a swing to throw the heavy weight of this small item away, his eyes were aimed towards the eternity of the sea.

“I wouldn’t do that,” a voice from his right said and he stopped in his movement, turning towards the man that had spoken those words.

The man that stood there, some meters away from him, held a ball in his hands and stood barefoot in the wet sand. Everything about him screamed beach bum, and the casual appearance and nonchalance of him was something that William would envy on a good day. He could not see much of him in this light, only that his hair went down to his shoulders but was tied back in a loose ponytail from which some strands had escaped. He wore Bermuda shorts and a t-shirt, but more could not be seen clearly.

The man whistled suddenly, making William raise his brows in surprise.

“Mouse!”

William blinked, when a large dog came running, bouncing excited around the other man, trying to reach the ball that he was now holding up above his head before he threw it into the waves and the dog, Mouse, ran after it almost tripping over his own legs.

While the dog swam after the ball, the stranger came closer, and now William could see that he was a little younger than him and had the deepest blue eyes he had ever seen in his life, surrounded by thick black lashes. He wore a smirk on his face, that did not look mocking though but kind and curious.

“Hey,” he said.

William only nodded, eyeing again the velvet box in his hand.

“You gonna throw that away?”

Now he looked up again, seeing how the stranger squinted an eye at him, and there was some weird expression in his eyes. Was that…care?

“Not sure,” William whispered.

“Why would you do that? She said no?”

William should not have been surprised at the question, a man looking sad and lost, wanting to throw a ring box into the ocean could only leave one deduction.

He shook his head no.

“Didn’t get the chance to ask her,” he replied, the fingers again cramping around the box. “She was busy fucking someone else.”

The stranger winced.

“Bitch,” he said the moment his dog came running again, dropping the ball to his feet and wagging his stumpy tail, the tongue lolling out of his grinning mouth.

The man picked the ball up again and threw it, Mouse darting again after it.

“C’mon,” he then said to William and pointed with his head towards the expanse of the beach. “Let’s go for a walk. Guess you could use a little air.”

Later, William would not be able to say why, but he only nodded and followed the complete stranger who started walking in the opposite direction. Soon they were walking side by side, William almost a head taller than the other, while Mouse ran circles around them, now and then dropping the ball in front of his master and dashing to fetch it after it was thrown. Until, after the fourth run, he looked first at the stranger, then at William and decided that it was William’s turn, dropping the ball right in front of his still leather clad feet.

The man grinned.

“Means he likes you,” he said.

William picked up the ball and threw it.

“He doesn’t know me.”

The man shrugged.

“Don’t see anything that’s not to like so far,” he said. “I’m Ben, by the way.”

A quick smile appeared on William’s lips.

“William,” he gave back, offering Ben a hand that he shook.

The smaller man showed him a genuine smile, so much more honest than any smile he had seen in the past months, if not years.

“Wanna talk about what happened? Maybe it will help?”

William bit his bottom lip, considering for only a moment that he did not know Ben at all, but there was something that made him want to talk to him, want to get to know him. Something he had never experienced before.

“I wanted to propose to my girlfriend today, after I got a promotion. It’s the perfect day, but well…,” he sighed. “I ran in on her fucking a co-worker of mine.”

“I repeat myself. Bitch,” Ben said. “I mean. I don’t know you, and well, you could be an asshole, but I don’t think so?”

William again threw the ball that Mouse had brought back to him, and looked at Ben, who seemed honestly concerned and somewhat upset.

“You’re right, you don’t know me,” William said.

“Show me the ring,” Ben then said.

“What?”

“Show me the ring,” Ben repeated, and William handed the box over.

Ben opened the case and looked at the diamond ring that looked like he cost a fortune. It was a relatively simple white gold band that was smooth on the inside, with an inlay of several diamonds in a rectangle shape in the front. William was aware that the ring was not the most feminine ring, but something had spoken to him the moment he had seen it in the window of the jewelry shop in a fancy area of town. He had known that this was the ring he wanted to give the girl he wanted to marry, this one and nothing else.

“It’s gorgeous,” Ben whispered, eyes on the ring that was shimmering in the rising moonlight.

Then he closed the box with a silent clap, and put it into the pocket of his shorts. William looked at him, the eyes blinking.

“For safekeeping,” Ben said without being asked. “That’s too precious to be fish food.”

“Uhm…,” William only made, but Ben chuckled.

“You know I’m right.”

William could not help but laugh and that moment he forgot the worries. Ben’s eyes had a spark when he smiled softly.

“C’mon,” Ben said, now taking Mouse’s ball himself and throwing it into the water.

“Are you not scared he takes off?”

Ben shook his head, watching his dog swimming until he reached the floating ball and then returning to them.

“Nah,” he said. “He knows where he belongs.”

How much William wished he knew the same.

“You have him for long?”

“Since he was a puppy. Pitties are not very popular, he’s a mix but still looks like one. The gentlest soul I ever met, would not even bite someone to defend me, he’d run and hide instead,” he laughed.

“I’m sure that’s not true,” William smiled.

Ben shrugged.

They walked a while silent, side by side, now and then looking at the other, and both of them now and then giving the other a little smile.

Suddenly there was thunder and a flash of lightning cascaded over the sky, and a second later the warm Summer night turned into a sudden rainstorm.

Ben laughed. Actually laughed and took William’s hand, starting to run, and the taller man had no chance but follow him, Mouse at their side carrying his ball.

They came near one of the surfer shacks that William had seen before, and Ben led them up the path to one of the cozy looking buildings.

They entered the small shack and Ben, who had entered after William, closed the door while Mouse ran to find his sleeping place next to the dresser that stood on one side, an assortment of pillows and a blanket, surrounded by several chew toys, shaking the rain water off.

“Want something to drink?” Ben asked, but that moment William turned around and made a step towards the other man, who automatically made a step back, but then looked up to William, who stood right in front of him, only inches separating them.

His full lips opened slightly, and the eyes searched for an answer to a question not asked.

The reply came, when William, who in his whole life never had been spontaneous, closed the distance between them and grabbed gently the back of Ben’s head and bent a little downwards for a first soft kiss. He put all his insecurity into the kiss, all the uncertainty of how Ben would react, not even understanding himself why he did this and only knowing that this was the only thing that made sense. Their lips parted without Ben having given in to the kiss, the eyes still wide open and questioning, but then they both went ahead and shared a second kiss, their lips parting and the taste of the other man flooding their senses. Ben tasted of sea and wind, of salt and something sweet, William tasted like cigarettes and coffee and Ben moaned at the masculinity of the tall man that was so close that he could feel his heart beat. He shoved his hands under William’s jacket and pushed it off his broad shoulders, while William’s tongue licked hesitating the seam of Ben’s lips, asking for an invitation and when it was granted, Ben moaned into his mouth.

The hesitant kisses grew more and more frantic, more and more filled with need and passion, both men experiencing an unexpected intensity and a desire that was unknown to at least William. Ben’s fingers found the buttons of his shirt and they actually trembled when he started to open them, gaining access to William’s heated, flushed skin and the first touch made William shiver and moan, pulling Ben into a tight embrace, who still had his hands in his shirt and touched his chest and then pulled at the shirt to prompt William to make a step, then another, until the backside of Ben’s legs met the edge of the wooden bed and he let himself fall. William immediately followed, crawling above him, not able to resist to grind his groin against Ben’s. Both of them let sounds of arousal escape their mouths before they continued to kiss.

Ben was almost ripping the shirt completely open now, tearing at the fabric with strength, and he only stopped when William looked down at him, their eyes locking, and both a smile on their faces. Ben was surely one of the most gorgeous men William had ever seen, the hair in the meantime open and spread out on the blue blanket, the pupils wide with lust. William’s finger ran through the blond hair while they returned to heated kisses. Shortly after, William pushed the hem of Ben’s t-shirt up, exposing tanned and soft skin over firm muscles that surprised him on Ben’s lithe build. He bend down and kissed openmouthed the brown nipple, letting his tongue flick over the hardened bud, to which Ben reacted with more moans.

The man that should be still a stranger to him looked up while William sat up between his legs and got finally out of the shirt, and he saw how Ben’s eyes widened for a moment at the mass of muscle that came now into view, followed by a predatory smirk. William returned to kiss his way up Ben’s chest, pulling the t-shirt over Ben’s head, getting full access to the soft golden skin underneath. They again kissed each other, more intense with every passing second.

When William again sat up, Ben’s hands followed to open his belt, tearing at button and zipper of his slacks, but before Ben could pull the pants down, William kissed him again, kissed his neck and shoulder and then turned them around until Ben was on top of him and the smaller man sat up.

While William opened Ben’s shorty, their eyes were connected to each other, a look of unbelieving and wonder in them. He wriggled out of his pants, making Ben giggle, but the giggling stopped when he scooted lower and kissed the bulge in his boxer briefs and William closed his eyes, neck arched back when Ben started to massage his balls through the fabric, getting back up to kiss him again. Between them, William’s hand slid into Ben’s shorts, noticing he had chosen to go commando and asking himself if that was a habit of his, and finding there the hard cock that was already leaking pre-cum. Ben panted against William’s neck, sucking at this skin and then looked up to kiss William again, slow, intimate and enjoying closeness and warmth.

William sat up, Ben in his lap, and for a moment they only looked at each other. William dragged a strand of Ben’s hair behind one ear and smiled at the beauty in front of him, who let the back of his right hand slowly caress his lover’s cheek, running his fingers through the short light brown hair and looking deep into the deep blue eyes that were filled with tenderness.

With a continuing smile, Ben pushed William back down and slid again down his body in one move and pulled the briefs down his strong legs, wetting his lips at the sight of the thick and long cock that was slapping against William’s stomach, looking painfully hard and glistening with wetness already. His tongue licked slowly, oh so slowly, up the whole length, circling the tip before he took him into his mouth.

“Shit,” William whispered, a hand in Ben’s hair without intent.

Without any kind of announcement, he pushed Ben off his cock and flipped him over. Ben stared up at him in surprise, but then he let out a sharp hiss when Billy went to return the favor, bending his legs and licking and sucking on his genitals until Ben could not formulate a clear thought anymore, going on to lick his exposed hole, opening him up and licking him out.

“Billy,” Ben whispered, the voice heavy with need and husky.

The arousal was almost too much, but Billy, who liked the nickname that Ben had given him, turned them smoothly and positioned Ben above his face and Ben understood his intent, bending down and starting to pleasure the delicious hardness that Billy offered to him, while Billy went ahead, spread Ben’s cheeks with both hands and tongued him again.

Ben was kissing Billy’s shaft and then pushing himself off him and crawling over the bed to the nightstand, rummaging through the drawing and throwing a bottle of lube and a strip of condoms onto the bed between them, looking over his shoulder with a grin.

They turned to each other and melted into an embrace that left no air between them. The kiss they started to share was slow, almost languid and gave both the feeling of content. Billy’s hand slid between them and Ben opened his legs without having been asked for it and Billy slowly fingered him, making him moan into his mouth and whisper how much he wanted him.

Billy sat up again, ripping a condom off the strip and ripping the wrapper open. Ben watching him, stroking himself slowly, while he put the condom on and then lubed his cock up. He bit his lip when Billy went to position himself between his legs and out two fingers, still covered with lube into his opening, and then pushed agonizingly slow into him.

He did not give Ben a moment to adjust, but started to fuck him in earnest, pushing into him with deep thrusts and pulling his whole, impressive length out of him again, before he repeated the movement. Lost in the emotion, he suddenly remembered that he could be hurting Ben, but then he saw the smile on Ben’s sweat covered face, the eyes glowing with lust and the hands on Billy’s body, and he bent down to join again with him in a deep and consuming kiss, while he dragged them both to lay sideways, Ben’s legs turned to one side, the changed angle making Ben’s moans grow louder and louder, the eyes screwed shut. Billy’s hands roamed over his body, the skin oversensitive and every touch making him shiver and wanting more, always more.

Billy felt his climax coming closer. Turning to his back, Ben sat up and started to ride him for only seconds before kissing him again, their lips glued together and their hips moving in unison, rotating, grinding. Billy’s arms held Ben so close that he, were they not lost in their shared passion, would be worried he was crushing his rips, but he could not give a fuck right this moment.

The kisses became more gentle, and then Ben started to shudder, his thighs trembling and his forehead against Billy’s shoulder, his name on his lips. He had not even been touched and now his released was coating Billy’s belly, and a few seconds later, with Ben’s name in a scream, Billy filled the condom with his.

They held onto each other for dear life, not able to move, not able to think, and not quite sure if they were still able to breathe.

Ben was the first to come back to his senses and moved off Billy, his ass a little sore but pleasantly so, and he went to take the condom off Billy and threw it into the waste bin close to the bed in the small room of the shack. The wipes he had stored in the nightstand came in handy when he cleaned them both, Billy’s hands that wanted to help slapped away with another giggle, before Billy pulled him back into his arms, kissing him slowly.

Ben pulled a blanket over them, the sea breeze making the night fresh, and cuddling against him, now noticing that his shorts were still in the bed.

When he grabbed them to throw them out, the ring box fell onto the blanket and both men looked at it. Ben was worried of this reminder of Billy’s sadness in this moment of bliss, but Billy did not seem to care and instead kissed his hair. In thought, Ben took the box and opened it, taking the ring out and twisting it in his fingers, letting the diamonds sparkle and paint little reflections of the little light against walls and ceiling.

Billy watched the lights that flickered against the walls and smiled.

In all his years, he had never felt like this. This complete. This fulfilled. This happy.

Billy knew he should feel guilty for being happy in the arms of someone who was not the woman he had wanted to marry just a few hours ago, of a stranger. But instead he felt at home.

And suddenly there was a thought in his head. The only thought that seemed to make sense and he looked down at Ben, who was playing with the ring.

He took the ring from the man’s hand, who looked up to him, smiling and the same expression of happiness in his eyes that he knew he was showing as well.

And without hesitation he put the ring on Ben’s finger.


	2. Chapter 2

“You did what?”

Ben winced around the spoon of red jello that he just had put into his mouth and looked at his best friend, who was glaring at him, sitting leaned against the headboard of his hospital bed, the arms crossed. John looked paler than he usually did, dark shadows under his eyes, the long curly hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, but the mischievous glint in his eyes was still there. Yet, those eyes looked angry, surprised, and annoyed at him.

“That is mine, by the way.”

“You don’t eat it anyway,” Ben mumbled and swallowed.

“Because it’s disgusting, can’t believe you eat it,” John said but then shook his head. “Stop trying to distract me. I repeat: You did fucking what?”

A smile spread over Ben’s face at the memory, causing John to roll his eyes.

“You’re disgusting.”

“Am not," Ben laughed.

John huffed.

“Oh yes, you are. You had one night of sex.”

“Of amazing, satisfying, all-consuming, absolutely breathtaking sex,” Ben corrected, making John roll his eyes once again.

“Yes. That,” John sighed. “You had _that_, and you immediately get all dreamy eyed and you make this face.” He waved into Ben’s direction.

“What face? I only have this one.”

“Yes, and it’s disturbing. Stop it.”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Ben said, eating another spoonful of jello, trying to find out if that was cherry, strawberry or something else. Rolling his tongue around the jello, he decided it was cherry.

“You have this loopy smile. As if you’re high on something.”

Ben frowned.

“I don’t do drugs anymore, you know that.”

John sighed again.

“Yes. Not my point. You look like you’re drunk on a feeling.”

Ben knit his brows together.

“Tell me how me feeling good and being happy is a bad thing.”

John leaned a little forward, his arms on his legs.

“Ben, I love you, you know that. You’re my best friend, my brother. I’ve seen you fall in love before, hell, we both know what I’m talking about. But I’ve also seen what it did to you when your heart had been ripped out and you were left bleeding on the floor. Please, promise me that you will not fall head over heels, okay?”

Instead of replying, Ben pressed his lips together.

Of course John was right.

They had been friends for more than seven years now and they both had been through a lot together. Had lovers seen come and go. Had travelled together, lived together, or slept in a car fighting who had the privilege to sleep on the backseat. A month ago, Ben had been there when John had the accident and had been brought to the hospital, had spent two weeks in the ICU after the remains of his left leg had to be amputated, and had been since then there for John every day.

John had seen how he had been in love with his ex, how he had loved the good sex, how he had loved the time they had spent together. He had not loved how he was left heartbroken and alone and had only his friends to drag him out of the darkness. But that had not been Billy, who he met only yesterday. Who he spent the last hours with, and who he felt comfortable with, like he could be himself and who brought a smile back that he did not know any longer existed.

“Uhm…,” he made.

Now it was John who winced.

“Oh God, don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love already. Ben, it’s just a fuck you had. Maybe a good, a great fuck. But still only a fuck. Get a grip, for God’s sake.”

Ben chewed on his bottom lip. He put away the small plastic bowl from which he had eaten John’s jello, knowing his friend always avoided the dessert while he loved it since he had been a child. John looked at him with a squinted left eye, clearly knowing that there was something that Ben had not told him yet, and he was not certain he wanted to know whatever Ben was hiding from him.

“John,” he started, not quite daring to look into his friend’s eyes and instead looking on the bright yellow t-shirt with the lettering that said: _I’m Not Short. I’m Concentrated Awesome._ “There is something…”

Nurse Helen was on the hallway in front of John Silver’s room, arranging the trays with food for the patients that she was collecting after lunch time, and she let two of those trays fall when she heard the yell coming from the long-haired man’s room.

“YOU HAVE DONE FUCKING WHAT?!”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

After the big party that had taken place the last evening and that he had planned to attend, nobody was surprised that Billy was late for work the next morning. He had only shown shortly up and had said hello to his boss and a few coworkers, but then he had went looking for her, and then his life had gone to hell. No. It had not. It only had changed course.

During the meeting that was held in the large conference room, Billy did not pay attention to anything the others said. He played a little with his phone, a lopsided smile on the lips when he saw that Ben had changed his lockscreen to the selfie they had taken this morning together, and sighed into his coffee while one of the other junior managers was talking about the entertainment ideas they had for the new resort that would open in a few weeks, after the scheduled renovation was finished. The talk about inviting some huge popstars to the opening and convincing them to sign a contract made him huff.

“You have something to add, Manderly?” The other man said, and Billy looked up.

“I do actually,” he said, putting his phone on the table. “Why would any of the stars you just mentioned sign a contract with a resort this size. It’s exclusive, but it’s neither flamboyant nor large. They would not be able to attract a huge crowd, instead, they would play for only a very limited audience. That is not attractive for any of them, sorry. If I remember right, this resort is supposed to be a place of silence, of relaxation. It should go into the direction of a wellness resort without being one. You can’t bring noise into a place like this.”

“William has a point there,” his boss, Richard Guthrie, said. “We will talk more about this in the next meeting. My secretary will send an email out with details.”

Then the older man got up from his chair and started to leave, prompting the others to pack their paperwork and folders and return to their assigned duties. In the glass door of the conference room, he hesitated and looked at Billy.

“A word, William?”

“Of course,” he replied and got up as well, following him to the hallway.

“Yes?” He asked.

“You were gone early yesterday,” Richard said. “We were looking for you.”

“I had something to do,” he said, not wanting to tell him what had happened, not now. “I’m sorry I just vanished like that. Won’t happen again.”

“I wanted to introduce you to some investors and possible business partners.”

Billy nodded.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated.

Guthrie nodded.

“Just make sure it won’t happen again. You remember the dinner we have with Rogers and Teach on Friday?”

Again, Billy nodded.

“I do. And I will be there,” he replied.

“Good. I see you later.”

And with that, Billy was left behind and after a few seconds he returned to his office and went to make a few calls that he had scheduled for today, started making calculations and looked at color schemes that he would have to further discuss with the design staff, and before he became aware of it, it had turned 6 p. m. and he cursed. He had told Ben that they would meet at not later than 8 and now he was not sure he would make it in time.

On his way to his car, he texted Ben.

_Will be late. Forgot time at work. Forgive me?_

After a few seconds, the reply came.

_ I’ll forgive you almost everything. You still going there first?_

_Yes. I need a few things. But then I will come straight back._

_ Straight. Ha. Just please come. And drive safe._

_Will do. See you in a bit._

_ See you_

He smiled at his phone, not able to remember when he had the last time felt like this. Maybe never before.

It took almost half an hour until he had driven back to the apartment complex where he shared still a nice apartment with his girlfriend, and after parking in his designated space, he took the lift up to the eleventh floor and went directly to the door that said 11D.

Soft music from the living room told him that she was home, and the scent of pasta and something fruity that she had ordered from her favorite Italian place. With the knowledge he now had of the last night, he wondered if she did this always when she had cheated on him, and the question how many times it had happened was still stuck in his head.

But he should not care.

He did not care.

Without saying hello he went to the bedroom and dragged his suitcase from under the bed where he had stored it after their last trip a few weeks ago, and put the opened case onto the bed, starting to put clothing into it, before he went to the living room to get a few things he did not want to leave without.

Eleanor sat on the wide couch and watched TV, some romantic comedy of the sort that always bored him and had watched it countless times to please her.

“Darling, you’re home,” she said, the head leaning back. “I ordered in from Vincento’s, you can heat it if you like.”

“No, thanks,” he only said and continued without looking at her, to collect a few books from a shelf before he returned to the bedroom.

Annoyed at being ignored like that, Eleanor, his Ellie, who he had lived with for four years, daughter of his boss, followed him.

“What are you doing?” She asked, frowning. “I thought that Dufresne was going on the trip to London instead of you.”

“He is,” Billy only replied and went on to the en suite bathroom and put his things into a plastic bag h had taken from his suit case.

Eleanor again had followed him and was standing in the door, blocking his way back when he was done.

“Then where are you going?”

“I’m moving out,” he only said and shoved his broad body past her and put the toiletries into the suitcase, closing it. “I’ll get the rest of my stuff sometime the next days. Would be kind if you won’t throw anything out before I get the chance.”

She stepped into his way before he could take the suitcase and just get out.

“William, darling, what happened?” She asked, her eyes looking wet. “You can’t just leave like that.”

“Believe me, I can. If you would now let me through.”

“No,” Eleanor only said. “Stop. You can’t leave me.”

Billy put the case done and rose to his whole height. His blue eyes were not gentle and soft like they often appeared, almost innocent, but cold.

“I saw you,” he only said.

Eleanor’s eyebrows went up.

“You saw me?” She asked with a laugh in her voice. “And what is it you think you saw?”

“I saw you fuck Rogers,” he said.

There was silence for long seconds between them.

“When?” She then inquired.

Billy closed his eyes.

“So it was more than once. Nice to know, Ellie,” he hissed. “If you will excuse me.”

“So what? I had a little fun with him. Who cares?”

“I care!” He yelled. “I care who the woman I want to marry fucks.”

“You want to marry me?”

A disgusted sound made it’s way out of his throat. Looking at her now, he saw how pretty she was, intelligence shining in her eyes, the perfect face. But he saw also the coldness and calculation behind that pretty face. And he could not understand how he never noticed that before.

“Not anymore.”

“But, William,” she said, putting a hand on his arm. “I will make it up to you. We can still marry and everything will be good.”

“I would not marry you if you were the last woman on the world, Ellie,” he said. “I would like to leave now.”

“And where are you going?”

Her voice grew louder and louder with each word she said, almost tipping over.

Billy, who had went past her, turned around and looked at her, seeing not sadness or defeat in her face, but anger and rage at being rejected, not being used to be the one left behind like this.

“I met someone yesterday after I saw you with…him,” he said. “And I had an amazing night, and I plan on having another amazing night tonight.”

She stared at him.

“Then go to your cunt!” She yelled. “Go and don’t think you can come running when you realize I’m much better than her.”

He could not avoid to grin.

“_He_ is a lot better than you, my dear,” he said. “And besides, I am planning to have a happy marriage after all, just not with you.”

Eleanor looked like she was not quite able to process the words he just said and blinked repeatedly at him.

“What?” She then said, her voice now not much more than a whisper. He now was sure that the tears in her eyes were real, just not of sadness.

“Oh, did you not get it?” He said, looking himself at his left hand on which he now wore a simple gold band. “I got married this morning.”


	3. Chapter 3

After driving straight from the apartment he had shared with Eleanor to the beach, Billy found Ben sitting on the stairs that led to the shack he was living in, that he was living in now too, he realized. Mouse was playing in the waves of the close shoreline, while Ben was looking at his phone in his hands, scrolling through something, not noticing the man that approached him with a suitcase in his left hand and a suit bag over his right shoulder. The sun was setting slowly, but still the beach was filled with bright light and the remnants of the day’s heat.

“Busy?” Billy asked.

Only when Billy’s shadow hit him, he looked up, blinking into the sunlight and then smiling when he recognized who was standing in front of him.

“For a guy your size you’re pretty sneaky,” Ben said, putting his phone down, leaning back a little against the top stair. Again, Ben could only be stunned at the beauty of the other man, the tanned skin and the bright and smart eyes that never seemed to be cold but always filled with a certain warmth and curiosity.

Billy shrugged and put case and bag down into the sand. He sat down next to the other man on the stairs, pushing his shoes off his feet and enjoying somewhat the feeling of the sand under his soles, and bumped his shoulder against Ben’s.

“I told John about us,” Ben said, and Billy acknowledged the mention of the name of Ben’s best friend with a nod. Ben had only told him little about John Silver last night, only that he had been his best friend for years and that they went through thick and thin together, brothers not by blood but by soul, and Billy was aware how important John’s opinion about him would be to Ben. “He was surprised, and he yelled at me. Guess he will be fine with it, but he’s protective and he can be, well he can be intense. He wants to meet you. Actually, it went better than I expected.” A little smile ghosted over Ben’s lips. “How was your day?” Ben asked, leaning over and pressing a short kiss against Billy’s neck.

Billy sighed.

“Good. Not good. I’m not sure. Bit of both, I guess.”

The smaller man nodded.

“How’d it go?” he asked, nodding into the direction of Billy’s luggage.

“I’m not sure. Told Ellie that I’m leaving her, well, I packed my stuff and left. There’s still some things I need to pick up the next days.”

“I’ll help,” Ben said. “I can mobilize a few of the guys to give us a hand.”

“It’s not much,” Billy said. “Just more clothes, some books, some movies. The playstation.”

Ben grinned.

“Playstation, huh?” He chuckled. “In case I can’t keep you entertained?”

Billy could not help but return the grin, shrugging out of his suit jacket and starting to roll up the sleeves, hating the restricting clothing and the breeze on his skin immediately made him feel more relaxed.

“Pretty sure you’ll keep me plenty entertained.”

Ben leaned against him, looking up to him through his thick black lashes that made his blue eyes look even more intense.

“This is weird, isn’t it?” He asked after a few minutes of silence, both men looking out towards the ocean.

“You think?”

His smile was soft and insecure and made Billy kiss his always messy hair that was again pulled back into a ponytail.

“We only met…not even twentyfour hours ago,” Ben said. “And here we are, married. That is weird.”

Billy nodded, frowning.

“It’s crazy, I know,” he said silently. “You regret it.”

There was no question in his words, it was a statement, it was the realization that the man at his side had spent the hours they had not been together having second thoughts. Sadness crept up in his heart, and also the knowledge that this further heartbreak would be something he would not get over like he got over Eleanor cheating on him. He started to chew on his lips, again feeling like the boy he once had been that had been mocked for his size and strength, mocking words that made him weak and he hated being weak. Immediately, he tried to shut out every emotion that could give away this weakness, he would not allow anyone, not even Ben, to use it against him.

Ben moved away from him, sensing that something was wrong, and when Billy did not react, he put a hand on his cheek, making him look at him. His eyes searched for something in Billy’s, then he kissed him only shortly, without intent.

“No,” he said, shaking his head and trying to smile with encouragement. “No, I don’t regret a thing, love. Yes, this is crazy. Hell, we both know it is. But, this feels…right. It feels like the only thing in my life that makes sense. I have no idea what you feel, but I know that I feel like I belong with you. Like I’ve finally come home?”

Billy nodded, leaning his forehead against Ben’s. He wanted so much to be weak with Ben. To just be him, someone who wanted to be held and cared for, and not having to be a person he maybe appeared to be on the outside, but would never be on the inside.

“Did you tell her?”

“About us?”

“Yes, I told her.”

“And what did she say?”

“Didn’t give her much of a chance to say anything. I kinda dropped the bomb on her and then took my things and…left?”

Ben laughed at his words. Any minute, Ben would call him a coward, someone who avoided confrontation and ran away instead.

“You told the chick you yesterday wanted to marry that you suddenly turned gay and married a stranger in her stead and you left? William Manderly, you are a terrible, terrible human being.”

“Am not. And I did not suddenly turn gay. Been bi all my life.”

“Did she know that?”

“Uhm…no?”

“Terrible human being,” Ben stated again, still laughing, a sound that let the tension drop from Billy’s shoulders.

“Beg pardon?” Billy said, faking being shocked at Ben’s words, and tickling the skin under Ben’s t-shirt, making his husband – his husband! – giggle childishly until Billy pulled him into his lap, until Ben sat sideways on his thighs, wrapping his arms around Billy’s shoulders.

“Terrible?” Billy asked.

“Very,” Ben replied, kissing him once, twice. “Very, very terrible.”

“So terrible that I will get chastised tomorrow by my boss for this,” Billy sighed, burying his face in the crook of Ben’s neck.

“Your boss?” Ben inquired, kissing Billy’s temple. “What does your boss have to do with this?”

“She’s his daughter?”

Ben pushed Billy a little away from him so he could look at his face. The smile that Billy showed him was hesitant.

“You were dating your boss’s daughter? Fuck. Means trouble, I guess?”

Billy sighed before he replied: “Probably. The Guthries are not known for their, let’s call it, tolerance when it comes to their own profit.”

Ben moved away, a frown between his eyes. The playful mood between them suddenly shifted, tension again welling up in Billy’s body, making his muscles ache and his spine stiff.

“The Guthries. As in, Richard Guthrie? The fuckhead who built the hotel here? Who has petitioned to make this a private beach?”

Billy rolled his eyes and nodded.

“Wow,” Ben said “This is…this is awesome. You know that your boss wants us gone?”

“Ben.”

“You know about that?”

“Yes, I know about that. I am the fucking head architect of the hotel.”

Ben’s eyes widened.

“Fuck,” he whispered. “Looks like I am really bad at choosing who I let into my bed then.”

He got up and started to walk.

“Ben, what is this about?”

“Seriously?” Ben turned around. “This,” he made a wide gesture to the beach. “This is my home, and John’s home. It’s where we live. And you and your boss are going to make us homeless pretty soon. If the city council listens to money, my best friend who is in a fucking hospital because a fucking shark ate his fucking leg will not have a place to call home anymore. Not a place to come home to and heal. I…I gotta get away for a bit. I...I’ll be back, I promise, but I need a little space. I’m sorry.”

“Please, Ben,” he said, but Ben shook his head.

Billy stared at him and watched, not able to say anything further, how Ben took the blue surfboard that leaned against the porch railing and moved with the board towards the shore. Being already barefoot, he slipped out of his t-shirt and became within seconds one with the waves.

Billy observed him for a long while, the grace and the elegance with which Ben moved and rode the tide, a beautiful, etherical being that belonged here and that Billy was partially at fault for losing this place soon.

His head hurt and his hands were balled to fists.

Suddenly everything felt wrong again.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

It was dark when Ben returned to the shack, not making a sound when he pushed open the door, listening into the darkness of the room. He pushed a few wet strands of his hair out of his eyes, that were becoming accustomed to the lack of light until he could make out the large figure that was laying on the bed, unmoving except for the heaving of his chest.

Billy was laying there, on his back, one arm pulled up over his head, the other to his right, where mouse had snuggled up against him like it was the most natural thing to do and this was not a man who only yesterday had found his way into their lives. Both were asleep, and Ben did not plan to wake them up, so he pulled the shorts he had been in the water with down his legs and dried himself off only shallowly with a towel that he found on the chair next to the door.

He wanted to be angry at Billy, wanted to yell and be upset, but he could not bring himself to feel anything negative for the man that had stumbled into his life and heart.

How was it even possible that in just a day, he had gone from lonely to married? How was it even possible that he had gone to feeling complete with a stranger at his side? He wanted to know everything about Billy. Wanted to know what he liked, what he dreamt of, what made him angry and what made him laugh. He wanted to taste his tears and hear his laughter. He wanted…he wanted it all. He wanted to be with him.

Just a night. Just a day. And everything had changed.

Taking a deep breath, he crawled under the blankets and snuggled into Billy’s other side, leaning his head against the shoulder and drank in the scent of his husband, the eyes closed. Billy warm body so close to his gave him a comfort he did not know he had longed for.

“Do you feel better?”

Billy’s voice was barely a whisper.

Ben nodded against his skin and pressed a kiss to the shoulder.

“Always does,” he answered.

Billy moved a little and turned to his side, facing him and pulling him closer into his arms, where Ben settled like he never had done anything else, like this was the only place in the world he belonged. Billy pushed his nose into his still wet hair, his nostrils filled with the scent of sea and salt and freedom.

“We’ll make this work,” Billy said.

Ben smiled, but felt tears rising.

“I know we will,” he said and pressed his eyes shut, shutting out the sadness and the fear of losing this little happiness that he had just found.


	4. Chapter 4

When Billy woke up, Ben was already gone again, leaving him sad and a little uncertain on where they stood now. Checking on the beach did not get him any further, since Ben was nowhere to be seen, the boars, as far as Billy could tell, were all in their place, only Ben and Mouse were missing.

He made a mental note to do some grocery shopping after work after noticing that Ben’s kitchenette held not even halfway the ingredients for a meal. There was a coffee maker, sure, but no coffee, and in the cupboard he found only a can of ravioli and two slices of bread which very well could have seen the last century.

After a quick shower in the bathroom in which he could barely turn, and dressed in slightly crumpled clothes, he stopped at a small bakery and coffee shop he had seen multiple times but never had had the need to step foot into, and found the place cozy and nice, smelling of fresh baked break and coffee. The two men that ran the shop where constantly bickering, but he smiled at the glint in their eyes, telling him that they could be something more than friends, and the tall man with the goatee and the deep brown eyes winked at him when he handed him a sesame bagel with cream cheese and a cup of fresh coffee. The price surprised him, it was not cheap but especially after he tasted the bagel and an almost sinful moan escaped him, tasting the quality of the food he had just purchased, every penny he had spent for it was worth it. Even the coffee tasted like real coffee and not like the instant brew he often swallowed. Billy grinned into the cup that was, as a few words of the print on it showed, reusable and would give him on a refill a discount of 20 percent. That shop was something he had to frequent more often and try out the other things they offered. He had not checked how long they were open every day, but if he was lucky, they would still be open this evening and he could get something for dinner for himself and Ben there, some nice sweet treats and maybe some of the tasty looking bread.

In a good mood, Billy parked his car in his designated parking space in the underground parking lot of Guthrie & Partners Inc. and took the elevator to the 10th floor where he had his office. The secretary he shared with Rogers smiled at him, but he sensed that she must have heard something from the look she gave him.

While emptying his coffee and munching absently on the second bagel, as good as the first one but this time with salmon and arugula, he checked his emails and found nothing that was really special. The usual information on building proceedings, two inquiries from their client who was the main investor in the hotel they were finishing these days – the hotel that had Ben upset and Billy, even though he was not ready to admit that, knew that Ben’s worries about the future of the beach were justified. Guthrie was not a fan of the surfers that populated the beach and wanted them gone. Billy had read the petition that the city council had received to have part of the beach turned into private property, the part of the beach on which the shacks were located in which the surfers lived and were tolerated so far. The determined position of Guthrie was something that Billy did not like, but it was not his decision, were out of the area of his expertise, but now his marriage, his happiness were at risk. If only he had an idea what to do, what to change.

“Richard wants to see us. Now,” came a voice from the door and Billy looked up, wincing at the sight of Rogers who leaned casually in the door to his office, looking all smug and somewhat arrogant.

He only nodded and got up, taking his jacket that he previously had put down on the back of his chair and put it on, following Rogers to the elevator to take them four floors up where Guthrie and the partners had their offices. He noticed how Rogers was eyeing him up, but he said nothing and Billy did not grace him with a remark or a question. Instead his thumb played the simple wedding band he was only wearing for a little more than a day, and that already felt like a part of his body, inseparable.

Every time he was ordered to Guthrie’s office, he felt a lump in his throat, almost anticipating something bad to happen, but he was good as his job and had graduated after spending two years abroad from one of the best universities in his field. Still, he came not from a rich or influential family, and there were not many companies who hired architects, starting his own company would be a risk he was not ready to take now, especially not with Ben relying now on him too.

Instead to the corner office Guthrie used, Rogers went to one of the conference rooms on the same floor and they took seats while waiting. Billy had his eyes on the blueprint that was framed as artwork on the opposite wall, continuing to ignore Rogers who still looked at him.

“Is it true?” Rogers suddenly asked, making now Billy look at him.

Rogers showed still that smug expression, like he was something better than Billy, and he knew that he came from money, came from a “good” family and that everything always fell right into his lap while Billy had to work hard for being where he was.

“Is what true?” Billy asked, having though a good idea what Rogers was talking about.

“You’ve turned gay?”

Billy frowned, instantly annoyed by the question.

“In which world do people just turn gay?” Billy gave back.

Rogers shrugged.

“As far as I knew you were not into ass until recently. After all you were dating Eleanor.”

It took Billy all his self-control to not get up and slap the smug grin from Rogers’ face. Instead he continued to stare at Rogers and say nothing.

“That piece of ass you got yourself must be world-class if you leave a woman like Eleanor for…it.”

“It,” Billy said toneless. “You’re calling my husband an _it_ after what you did?”

“And,” Rogers leaned forward, still that cold smile on his lips that angered him. “Enlighten me, what did I do?”

“Maybe you should not have fucked my girlfriend, you piece of shit,” Billy hissed, the eyes dark with rage.

But instead of being surprised by the revelation that Billy knew about him and Eleanor, Rogers still smiled.

“Don’t tell me you went gay because I had a little fun with Eleanor,” he laughed. “A woman like that, I never understood why she wasted her time with someone like you.”

The old feeling of insecurity rose in Billy, the feeling of not being good enough for someone else, but suddenly there was a new confidence. He had found someone who wanted him, who he maybe only just met, but who was already the center of his world, and so he returned Rogers’ smile with one of his own.

“At least I am happy now,” Billy said, smiling at the thought of Ben’s mischievously glinting eyes, and he wanted to add something else, but the doors to the conference room opened and the other participants of the meeting came in, among them not only Guthrie, but also Eleanor, who held the position of a junior partner already.

Billy felt uncomfortable in her presence, but he also knew that a confrontation was unavoidable, especially since he still had some of his things in the apartment they had shared.

The look Guthrie gave him spoke of disgust and hatred, the lips curled into a snarl, but Eleanor looks ice cold and calculated, without letting any emotion to the surface. Had she always been so cold? How had he never noticed it before?

“Thank you for coming,” Guthrie said, the other partners and some of the other people responsible for the hotel project taking their seats as well. “We have urgent matters to discuss at a later point, but I have to give you right now a very unpleasant information.” Billy noticed how Rogers as well did not seem to know what this was about, an eyebrow raised in question and shaking his head slightly at Billy’s questioning look. “We have this morning received a call from Hornigold’s represetatives. The Hornigold Hotel Group has yesterday filed for bankruptcy.”

Billy held his breath, Rogers went pale, some of the others started to whisper and murmur to themselves.

“This means, the hotel we are finishing building these days, which we were partnering in running, a prestige project for our company, can now mean our ruin,” Guthrie explained without reservations. “If we cannot find new partners in this, we will have to stand up ourselves for the funding of the building. Our finance and legal departments already run inquiries trying to find a loophole to get out of this unharmed. I have to ask you to remain silent about these proceedings. The worst that could now happen to us is to appear weak. Still, we need to get into contact with anyone who is a possible partner in this undertaking,” he went on. “Please return to your tasks. Rogers, Manderly, stay.”

Everyone but Rogers and Billy left, leaving them with Guthrie and Eleanor who stayed as well and looked at Billy, still with cold calculation in her eyes.

“I want both of you to be aware that your jobs are at risk here. Both of you are responsible for large parts of this endeavor, and if this ship should sink, you will go down with it. I ask of you to save not only the project but also your job. One of you will go, one of you will be made partner if you manage to get us back on course. Is that understood?”

Billy’s eyes narrowed. He was an architect, while Rogers was a consultant. He would have to convince those interested into joining a project that was almost finished with chances he could make to an almost finished building to fit it to the needs of them. He had to work fast and he had to adapt, and those where both things he was good at.

“Get to work,” Guthrie said, and both of them nodded, got up and left the conference room.

While Rogers took the elevator down to his office, Billy took the stairs and went right to work, going over blueprints and software planning to see which areas could be adjusted cost efficiently, making call after call, asking their contractors for estimates, and looking at the same time for alternatives. He had always been good at multi-tasking, and it was easy for him to get lost in his work, and so he did not notice how the sun went down and his office was only illuminated by the light of his computer display and the lamp on his desk. His head started to hurt a little and with a sigh he looked at the clock on his desk, a present from friends for his graduation, friends he had lost contact with because he had been too busy with his career. It was much later than he had it expected to be and his plan to get something to prepare a meal and get the things from his apartment – no, Eleanor’s apartment – was now something that he could forget about.

With a little sigh, he got up and put some papers into a folder to take home and unplugged the laptop from the desktop station. When he left, he saw that the light in Rogers’ office was turned off. At least he had worked longer, but that did not mean anything. Everything he had built in the last years was at risk now after he had already lost something dear this week. No, that was not what he should think. He had not lost. He had gained. He had a husband, and he was falling in love. Now he only needed to secure a life that was worth living, for himself and for Ben and Mouse.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Ben was sitting on the bed, Mouse next to him, when Billy came home, and looked up from the tablet that was in his hands.

“Hey,” he said, smiling softly. “You’re pretty late. I almost thought you won’t come back...uhm…home.”

Billy returned the smile while shrugging out of his jacket and putting the folders and laptop on the counter of the kitchenette.

“Was a tough day at work,” he said. “You were gone when I got up.”

“Yeah, John had an appointment with a physical therapist and he wanted me to be there. I forgot to tell you and I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“After yesterday…,” Billy started and sat down next to Billy, who now put the tablet onto the nightstand, inching closer to him.

The smaller man leaned against Billy’s shoulder and pressed a chaste kiss to Billy’s neck.

“What? You thought I just leave like that?”

Billy pressed his lips together.

“I don’t know,” he whispered and Ben nodded.

“I know, we don’t know each other yet. But I will never just go like that, ok? I promise,” he said, his crystal clear eyes searching for an answer in Billy’s face. “Look at me.” Bills complied, uncertainty in his eyes. “Do you believe me?”

Billy nodded in confirmation and leaned closer to kiss Ben, soft and warm, tasting of coffee and fiving them both a feeling of belonging and of comfort.

“Good,” Ben smirked. “I’m hungry.”

A chuckle escaped Billy, making Ben raise a brow.

“What?” He asked.

“We have two slices of bread from the stoneage in there. That’s it.”

Ben’s lips moved to one side.

“Damn. I knew I forgot something, I wanted to cook something for you.”

Billy raised both brows.

“You. Wanted. To. Cook.”

One of Ben’s fists hit his side in a playful manner.

“Hey! I’m actually a pretty, damn good cook, you idiot,” he laughed when Billy tickled his side. “I’ll get stuff tomorrow then.”

“Stuff.”

“Yeah. Stuff. You know. Greens and stuff.”

“Don’t tell me you’re a vegetarian.”

Ben’s eyes widened in shock.

“How dare you accuse me of that! I make like the best stew ever. And my barbeque marinade is legendary! But tonight…pizza?”

Billy laughed.

“Pizza it is.”

“Awesome. You pay.”

They laughed together, falling back onto the bed arm in arm, and all worries were forgotten for a moment.

This was home.

This was where Billy belonged. And he would do anything to secure this new and beautiful life he had just found.


	5. Chapter 5

“Will you ever tell me what is wrong?”

Billy turned in the bed he had shared the night before once again in intimacy with the man he was only getting used to call his husband. Ben was sitting, one leg angled, on the old armchair by the window and was again scrolling through something on his tablet.

“Good morning to you too,” Billy yawned. “Tell you what?”

Ben looked up and tilted his head.

“I know that we don’t know each other yet very well,” Ben said, the voice soft. “But I’m pretty good at sensing when something is off. And something is very off about you. Is Ellie bothering you? Do I need to scratch someone’s eyes out?”

With a smile Billy sat up, noticing how Ben was for a few seconds sidetracked by the play of the muscles that were exposed by the blanket that was billowing around his hips now, wetting his lips and then worrying the sensitive flesh before he took a deep breath and looked back up into Billy’s eyes.

“So?” He added.

“No,” Billy replied. “No need to scratch anyone’s eyes out, and Ellie has done nothing. It’s problems at work. It’s not important.”

Ben got up at those words, and sat down next to Billy on the bed, one hand of the naked leg of the taller man.

“Billy,” he said. “So unimportant that you could not fall asleep until sunrise?”

“You noticed?”

Ben’s smile was lopsided and showed not a hint of amusement.

“I was lying right next to you,” he said. “Of course I noticed. So, what is it?”

Billy dropped back down into the pillows and put an arm over his eyes, as if he tried to shut out reality for a moment. It was so comfortable that Ben, while he still was part of his life, an important part, was still a refuge to the reality that he feared to face.

“You don’t want to tell me,” Ben said.

Billy sighed and opened his eyes again, looking at Ben. His husband looked sad and somewhat unhappy, hurt in his eyes.

“I don’t want to bother you.”

Ben pressed his lips together.

“You do realize that you’re married to me?” He asked and Billy nodded slowly. “This is all new. To me too. But if we want this to work, you need to talk to me. We’re in this together. I want this to work. What about you?”

The addressed man did not answer right away. Instead, Billy rubbed his eyes, unable to keep eye contact with Ben.

“Okay,” Ben then said. “So you don’t. Do I get this right?”

Now Billy’s gaze snapped up.

“What? No! God, no. I mean, of course I want this to work. I want this so much, Ben, you have no idea,” he said quickly. “But, I want to not burden this between us with the bullshit I’m going through at work.”

Ben took Billy’s hand and entwined their fingers, holding Billy’s hand tight in his grip, signaling confidence and a sense of belonging that made Billy’s stomach jump.

He sighed.

“I’m probably losing my job.”

Ben’s brows went up.

“Because of me?” He asked. “Is that why you didn’t want to tell me?”

“No, not because of you, maybe because I left Ellie, but I would have left her even if I had not met you,” Billy said. “Maybe they’ll use what happens right now as a reason to get rid of me.”

“Tell me all,” Ben said, laying down next to Billy, putting his head on his shoulder.

Immediately, Billy’s hand went into Ben’s hair, stroking the soft strands, calming them both and if Ben were a cat, he was sure he would start to purr.

“The hotel,” Billy said and felt how Ben tensed a little in his arms. “We built it for a hotel chain, Hornigold Group. They filed for bankruptcy recently. Meaning, we built a million dollar resort without anyone to pay us for. This could ruin Guthrie.” Ben looked up. “We’re trying to find someone interested in taking over for Hornigold, a new investor, anything. I am the head architect of this, but I designed it for the needs and in the style of their hotels. A new investor would need something else, so I need to find easy and cost efficient ways to adjust the building without knowing what to adjust and who will buy it. If anyone buys it.”

Ben nodded.

“Does that make any sense to you?” Billy asked, earning a frown on Ben’s face.

“I’m not an idiot, Billy. You designed something custom, but the buyer won’t pay up, so you need to find a new buyer and change your design,” Ben said, sounding a little annoyed, but settled back into the embrace of Billy’s arm after Billy kissed the top of his head. “That sucks.”

“Yeah, it does,” Billy said. “I don’t even know where to start. Rogers is a consultant, he’s contacting potential investors or buyers, and I can do nothing but wait.”

“No, babe,” Ben replied. Warmth spread through Billy at hearing the pet name. “You do what you’re good at. You’re so young and you were give the responsibility to design a resort of this size and importance to your employer. You must be not only good. You’re one of the best. And you will do just that. You are the fucking best at designing this piece of shit into something even more remarkable.”

Billy almost held his breath.

In all his years, nobody since university had giving him such praise and confidence as a man he had only met a few days ago and who was slowly becoming the center of his life.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Ben had continued throughout the morning to watch Billy working on his laptop, commenting only when asked what he thought about this or that change of design, and he knew that Billy tried to include him. It felt forced though after Billy had earlier assumed he would not understand the way business transactions were working. He was hurt and a little sad that Billy thought this little of him, but he tried to not let those emotions show. Billy had enough on his plate as it was and the last thing he needed was more problems.

He was himself surprised how fast he had started to feel attached to Billy. He looked forward to seeing him, of course also to feeling him, but there was a weird connection that made him look forward to looking at Billy’s smile and his deep blue eyes. He was happy with Billy at his side. He was happier than he had ever felt before.

John would chastise him for his naivety, that he once again was a romantic idiot. But this was not John’s life, no matter how important his best friend was to him, this was his life, and this time he would make it work.

Billy had willingly offered him his car when he told him he would be picking up John in the afternoon and would take a rental, and he could not say why it felt like Billy was trusting him when he handed him the keys to his SUV, but it did.

And so he had driven the fancy car to the hospital, where a male nurse was already waiting with John at the front entrance. John looked more than annoyed, sitting in a wheelchair, his brand new prosthetic attached to his leg and a deep frown on his face. He still looked paler than he used to, probably because of the lack of sunlight due to his several week long stay at the hospital, but now that he was released, Ben hoped that he would soon be back to the John he knew and loved deeply. Maybe not the same physically.

The frown on John’s face grew even deeper when he watched Ben parking the silver SUV and then getting out to help John with his bag and the wheelchair.

“Got a new car?” John asked, while the nurse patted his shoulder and then left.

“It’s Billy’s.”

John raised a brow.

“Remind me who Billy is?” He said, but the mischievous grin he showed told Ben that he was messing with him. “Oh, the husband. How is marriage life?”

“I only saw you yesterday. Why do you act like I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

“Because my best friend would not marry a guy he just met, who I have still not met. So, you can’t be Ben.”

Ben smacked him over the back of his head.

“Ouch, dammit. Invalid here.”

“There’s nothing wrong with your head.”

“Might as well be.”

“But it is not. Though, when you’re acting like a child…”

“I’m not acting like a child, you dumbass,” John laughed. “Will you help me or shall I just hold on tight to the side mirror and drive along with my own wheels?”

Ben rolled his eyes while throwing the bag into the back of the car.

“C’mon, speedy,” he said and opened the door as wide as possible and John rolled closer. Ben got the crutch from the back of the wheelchair and handed it to him.

It was still a slow process for John to get up and heave himself into the car, still unused to his own unbalanced movements and having not yet found the new center of his body after the loss of his leg, but after he finally plopped down on the car seat, he gave Ben a little smile that was returned.

“Do you need help with the seatbelt?”

John shook his head.

“Nah. I got this,” he said and buckled himself up.

Ben gave his thigh a little slap and closed the door, went around the car and took the driver’s seat, starting the car.

“Nice ride. The hubby’s loaded?”

“You’re an asshole, Silver.”

“You’re my role model, Gunn,” John returned.

Ben shook his head, but could not hide a grin.

“Can’t wait to meet the man who stole you away from me.”

“You and I, John, that would be like the worst idea ever.”

“Oh, darling, we would be so good together, you have no idea.”

Ben looked over from the corner of his eyes and turned his attention back to the street.

“You are an idiot.”

John shrugged.

“A bit, maybe,” he said. “But really, I want to meet him. I’m curious about him.”

“I swear to God, John, if you do anything stupid when Billy is around, I’ll cut off your other leg with a rusty spoon.”

John chuckled.

“Cause it hurts more?”

“Damn right.”

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Billy found his husband in the company of a few other men after the sun had set at the beach. He had worked until it had gone much later than he had planned it to be, and he knew he had given Ben the promise to join them on the beach in the evening. Technically it was still evening, but he also knew that Ben had meant it differently when they had agreed to meet.

He was glad that he had bought a few nice bottles of wine and some cider and beer that was free of alcohol because he knew that John would probably still be taking medication after his amputation, and made with a basket his way down the beach to the couple of campfires he could already see from a distance.

There was a group of people sitting in the sand around the fireplaces, and he felt self-conscious about approaching those strangers, his steps getting a little slower and a little voice in his head telling him to turn around and make up an excuse why he could not show up as promised. Ben would understand with the work mess he was in, but before he could finish that thought, he saw a figure getting up and walking over to him.

The silhouette he could make out against the fire was a slender man and when he got closer, he smiled at the pretty face of his husband who smiled at him, reaching out with one hand.

“I almost thought you wouldn’t come,” Ben said, still smiling.

“To be honest, I thought about it,” he admitted, a blush on his cheeks, while Ben took his hand. “I forgot time over work.”

“Yeah, thought so,” Ben said, pressing a kiss to his lips, stretching to his tiptoes to reach the taller man’s mouth. “Come, I introduce you to the guys. John is really, really wanting to meet you.”

“Now bring the giant over here, hotshot,” someone from the fire shouted. “Can’t check him out from here!”

“Goddamn, John, will you just once shut up?”

“Not in this lifetime.”

Ben looked back up at Billy, who chewed his lip nervously.

“C’mon, meet him before he gets even more annoying.”

“Okay,” Billy only whispered, causing Ben to drag him behind him to the campfire.

“So, guys, this is Billy. Billy, these guys are Ned, Jacob and Israel, that over there is Dufresne, and this poodle here would be John.”

Billy took in the faces of the strangers and nodded into their direction. The man called Ned looked at him with curiosity, while Israel was just grumpy and busy with his bottle of beer. Jacob smiled friendly and gave the nod back. Dufresne looked at him with something between disgust and a deprecatory expression. But the one he was interested in meeting, John Silver, beamed with a smile he had rarely seen in his life, bright and with unhidden sympathy.

“Do I have to get up, or will you sit down with me. I’m a little bit handicapped and the fucking sand is not helping,” he said, drawling in an Australian accent and an inviting gesture.

Billy put the basket down, which Israel started to eye with interest, getting slapped on his reaching out hand by Ned, and sat down next to John, who still looked at him.

“You hurt him, I’ll gut you,” he smiled.

“I’m not planning to.”

John nodded, while Ben, rolling his eyes, sat down next to him.

“We talked about your hotel problem,” John said immediately without being asked and Ben felt the urge to slap his best friend hard.

“You did?” Billy asked.

“Yep,” John confirmed. “I think you need an attraction.”

Billy looked surprised from John to Ben, who sighed and looked towards heaven.

“You know, we’re surfers. We could open a surfing school here, a really good one,” John said.

“John, we talked about this,” Ben said. “Not now.”

“Yes, now,” John gave back. “I know someone who knows someone. Someone really amazing. A legend among our kind. He’s an absolute household name in the surfing scene. If we can get James Flint on board with this, it would attract a lot of people. Let’s at least give it a try. Maybe we can give you a little support this way.”

“John,” Ben started again, but Billy stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“No, that’s actually not a bad idea,” he said. “Hornigold wanted to get pop stars to appear here, yeah I know, stupid idea, this is not Vegas, but that could actually work. People go to a beach like this to experience it. Hell, even I know who Flint is, there’s a brand with his name on it, isn’t it? Like O’Neill?” Ben nodded. “If you can make a few calls and maybe get in contact, it could really do something good. It could, yeah I think it could be an option I could present with success.”

He smiled, and Ben squeezed his hand, returning the smile with a little happiness in it and the insecurity he had shown only seconds ago vanishing.

“Awesome. I start to make some calls tomorrow,” John said cheerfully and Ben just knew that his friend was happy to have gotten himself a task. “You got something in there for me to drink? If I have to drink one more diet coke, I’m gonna puke right onto one of you,” John nodded towards the basket.

“I got some non alcohol beer and cider. Is that okay?”

John blinked at Ben, then at Billy, then back at Ben.

“We got a problem,” he said.

“And what would that be?” Ben asked, expecting nothing good from his smartassed friend.

“You need to get a divorce. Stat. I want to marry him myself.”

Billy blushed while Ben laughed, clearly amused.

“No way. He’s all mine,” he said, leaning against Billy’s side.

John nodded and accepted the bottle of cider that Ned was handing him after he had taken the basket from Israel’s exploring hands.

“I love you,” he said, toasting towards Billy and took a sip from the opened bottle.

Billy and Ben both tensed up at those words, and Billy felt his heart beat in his ears.

Words they had not spoken to each other themselves.


	6. Chapter 6

A few days later, Billy woke to the feeling of warm, wet lips nuzzling at his collarbone, and a gentle hand around his morningwood. He did not dare to open his eyes, maybe this was just a dream, but then those lips whispered: “You smell so good.”

He chuckled and closed his own hand around Ben’s, stroking himself with the aid of his husband and letting out a soft moan.

“Definitely the best way to start a day,” he whispered, the voice still hoarse and rough from sleep.

“Good news, you can have this every day for the rest of our lives now,” Ben whispered, his teeth nicking Billy’s jaw, who now pulled him up into his arms and looked at the smaller man who nestled himself into a comfortable position on top of him., grinning down at him and sharing a short kiss before he scooted lower, his eyes the whole time on Billy, until he spit into his hand and stroked Billy’s cock a few times with his wet palm, before he pressed a kiss to the flushed tip and then went down on him.

Billy sighed and leaned his head back, the eyes rolling back in his head when Ben took his whole length down without hesitation, rolling his balls in his hand, the other hand on Billy’s side, drawing circles into the skin.

It was Billy’s hand that grasped both their cocks when Ben returned to kiss him, their tongues entwined, and their eyes looking deep into those of the other. Their kisses were slow, lips barely touching, here and there the short lick of a tongue, foreheads leaning against each other. Even when they turned and Billy found himself on top again, getting to kneel between Ben’s wide spread legs, an unspoken invitation, they continued those tender kisses that felt so much more erotic and intimate than any of those wet and consuming kisses Billy had shared with anyone in his life before he had met Ben. He could kiss him for days, never stopping, and it would be enough to survive.

Billy smiled a little lopsided at Ben and got to crawl to the side where the nightstand was, but Ben’s hand grabbed his arm, making him stop.

“Do you trust me?” Ben whispered.

Billy looked at him. He wanted to say that of course he trusted him, but the importance and the meaning behind this simple question made him hesitate. Not because it was not so, but because he never before had considered taking this step with anyone. And now, it seemed like the most natural and normal thing to do.

“I trust you,” he replied.

Ben smiled and nodded.

“Trust you too. I can show you the paperwork if you want.”

“I just said, I trust you, I meant it. Besides, I have the paperwork too. Do you want to see it?”

Ben laughed and dragged Billy down to himself again to kiss him, the eyes open and his heart jumping in his chest. But he frowned again, when he noticed that Billy again was reaching for the nightstand while he was kissing him.

“What?”

Billy kissed the tip of his button nose.

“Lube,” he only said, shaking the tube he had fished out of the drawer in front of Ben’s face, who rolled his eyes and giggled.

Having mastered the task of keeping kissing Ben and preparing them at the same time, Billy had within the shortest time his cock and Ben’s body readied and was pushing slowly inside him. The expression on Ben’s face spoke of bliss, the eyes closed and letting out a deep sigh, every muscle in his face relaxed. Both could not believe how different it felt to feel only skin and not the thin barrier that had separated them so far from each other. A tear escaped Ben’s eyes, the meaning of this overwhelming him.

His hands were roaming over Billy’s back, who sank down on and into him until he bottomed out and started to take up slow movements. On the second thrust, he hit the center of Ben’s prostate and his husband’s cock started to leak precum with every further thrust into him. Ben’s legs were wrapped tightly around his hips, his right foot pressing into his behind and trying to urge him even deeper, wanting to consume every part of him completely.

Unable to utter words, the room soon was filled with their moans and Ben’s whimpers, that grew into little screams.

“Yes, baby,” Billy whispered into his ear. “Scream for me, cum for me, c’mon, cum, Ben. God, Baby.”

Ben sighed into his kiss and felt his climax build inside him, felt that he could not hold back the need to be Billy’s a moment longer, and finally spent his seed between them, coming without being touched. His whole body trembled and he held onto Billy for dear life, not certain if he could still breathe without feeling Billy.

He opened his eyes, wanting to see Billy’s face when he came, wanting to never forget what Billy would look like, what he would see in Billy’s eyes when he looked down at him.

“Oh,” Ben made, trying to spread his legs somewhat wider to give Billy more space to fuck the last thrusts harder and at the same time wanting to have Billy as deep inside him as possible. His shaking thighs made him unable to do anything but helplessly embrace Billy with every limb when he finally came and his cock pulsed his cum into his body for the first time, filling him with wet heat.

Billy’s eyes were on Ben, open in wonder when he saw how Ben’s pupils were wide and filling almost all of the blue of his eyes. The moment Ben felt his cum inside him, he started to sob softly, as if he felt something he never had felt before and Billy questioned if this maybe was the truth. Maybe Ben never had allowed anyone to be this close before. The smile Ben showed, the happiness, it filled Billy’s heart to the brim and he again leaned his forehead against Ben’s, stroking the mussed up hair of the beautiful man beneath him. Ben was truly the most beautiful being he had ever seen, and he thanked God for the twist of fate that had given him this man to be at his side.

They kissed each other slowly, a continuing hunger unspoken but filling their souls like air filled their lungs. Billy kissed Ben’s cheek, his jaw, and Ben turned the head to the side to give him access to the sensitive spot below his ear where kisses made his toes curl.

“Oh dammit, it’s so late already!” He suddenly said, his eyes on the clock on the wall, and pushed Billy off of him, leaving him with a confused frown.

Ben swung his legs out of bed, slipped into jeans and a t-shirt that he found on the floor, and went over to the closet where most of both their clothes were stored in, opening it and taking out a blue travel bag that he put on a chair.

“What are you doing?”

Ben grinned, the face flushed and the eyes still slightly wet.

“I wanted to tell you yesterday. I’m going surfing for a few days.”

“You’re going surfing?” Billy asked with a frown.

Ben nodded and put jeans and a cardigan into the bag, followed by a suit bag that Billy had not noticed before.

“Yeah,” Ben said, his smile kind and a little shy. “Wanted to tell you yesterday, but well, we got a little sidetracked. You should come with me, a little distraction might be good for you.”

“You know I can’t.”

“Billy…,” Ben started but Billy interrupted him.

“I don’t know what will happen if I lose my job.”

Ben looked up, a brow raised.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, no job, no income,” he said.

Ben smiled hesitantly.

“You need to stop worrying so much, babe,” he said, putting some more clothes into the bag he was packing for his trip, whatever that even meant. “Everything will work out fine.”

Chewing his bottom lip, he shook his head no.

“I’m starting to have doubts. Rogers has found someone interested in the project. It’s all still very hush-hush, but if he can get those people, whoever they are, to take over the Hornigold project, I’m as good as out.”

“When will you meet with those people?”

“Day after tomorrow.”

Ben stopped his packing for a second and looked over to Billy.

“Oh,” he said. “I had hoped you could come with me and hang out on the beach a bit and forget your troubles.”

“This is not really a good time for me to take a vacation.”

“Vacation,” Ben parroted.

“I can’t lose this job, Ben.”

“You’re not even happy with this job,” Ben said, leaning against the table. “Why would it be so bad if you lost it?”

“Not everyone can slouch on the beach the whole day enjoying the sun,” Billy said a bit too sharp. He meant it to be a joke, but Ben’s smile faltered and he stared at him with wide eyes.

“What?”

“Not everyone can be a beach bum. How will I provide for you if I have no job?”

He immediately winced at his own words, in which the joke he wanted to make was not audible in the slightest. An odd silence hang between them.

Ben stared at him for a time that seemed like an eternity, even if it was just seconds. His usually relaxed and always friendly face was frozen, his lips a thin line. His eyes, that Billy always found to reflect even the slightest light, were ice cold.

“Wow,” Ben only said.

“Ben,” Billy said, regretting his words.

“A beach bum, huh?”

Billy closed his eyes to stop himself from rolling them at his husband.

“I didn’t mean…”

“Oh yes, you did,” Ben said, opening a drawer and putting a stack of t-shirts into his bag. “You absolutely did.”

“Ben, I didn’t think…”

“Exactly,” Ben interrupted him. “You didn’t think. If you had thought for just one moment, you may had asked me for I do for a living after we met, but God forbid, your husband could be anything else but a _beach bum_.” Ben stopped for a second, trying to stop the tremble in his voice that started to betray him. “Since I seem to only be able to survive on wind, water, weed and booze, you shouldn’t be worried to fucking have to _provide_ for me.”

He closed the zipper of his bag.

“But you know what? Don’t worry about me at all from now on.”

Billy finally stood up and made a few steps towards his husband, the hands raised in a calming gesture, but Ben raised a hand himself and made him stop.

“Don’t you dare,” he only said, angry tears in his eyes. “I’ll have the rest of my stuff picked up when I come back. Mouse, come.”

And with that Ben left.

No goodbye.

No kiss.

No embrace.

Not one of the things Billy had hoped would happen between them once they parted.

Instead he was standing alone in the shack, naked as the day he was born and with the traces of the sex he had just a few minutes ago shared with Ben, so close to the bed he had spent the last nights with in the arms of the man he was married to, and had tears streaming down his face, the hands balled into fists. How could the moment of intimacy and trust have turned into this disaster within the blink of an eye?

Everything in him screamed to run after Ben, go down on his knees and apologize, beg him for forgiveness. But if this was so little worth to Ben that he ran away at the first hint of a confrontation, it maybe was futile to even hope for a happy outcome.

How could he have ever hoped that this absurdity of a relationship would work out? He was married to a stranger. He knew nothing about Ben. He didn’t even know when his birthday was other than that it was in May.

It had been a stupid idea from the start. And He should never have put his already wounded heart into this idea of a marriage.

But he had been so happy with Ben. He had been able to be himself, had been allowed to dream and feel something else, something new, something forgotten.

Something…

Something real.

He had to do something. With trembling hands, he grabbed his jeans and the dress shirt he wore yesterday from the chair and put them on in a hurry.

“Ben!” He shouted and ran outside the shack, hoping he would be able to stop Ben from leaving before he could make up with him, tell him he was an idiot and before he would truly lose him forever, but there was not a hint of Ben. Instead, when he turned onto the promenade behind the beach, he saw the taillights of a taxi.

Once again, his heart was beating in his ears.

He was too late.

There was only one thing that meant something to him in this fucked up life. And that one thing just left.

“You fucked that up good.”

Billy turned around and found John standing at the street, leaning on his crutch, a deep frown between his eyes.

“What did he say? Where is he going?”

John made a step towards him, glaring up at him.

“He told me to not tell you anything, and he’s my best friend, so I won’t. But I warned you. You hurt him, I’ll gut you. And, hell Billy, you are very close to a gutting. What the fuck have you done?”

Billy looked at his feet, now noticing he had not put on shoes and was standing barefoot on the curb.

“He didn’t tell you?”

“Oh, he told me good, you damn asshole. A beach bum? What do you think, Billy? That we are some petty criminals who live on love and air, or what? How can you now know that…,” Silver bit his lip.

“That what?”

“He told me not to tell you anything.”

Billy nodded.

“Can you tell him I’m sorry?”

“I hope you get to tell him that yourself when we come back.”

“You’re leaving too?”

John tilted his head to the side.

“My lips are sealed,” he said, a small smirk appearing. “But yes, I’m leaving too. I’m going to talk to him and I hope you two get to talk this over and you will stop being a prejudiced and snobbish asshole. Or I’ll still have to gut you.”

“At least I’ll have not to worry about my job anymore when I’m gutted.”

John clapped him on the shoulder.

“I haven’t heard back from Flint’s people yet,” he said. “I’ll continue trying to reach them and I’m sure we can figure something out.”

“Thank you, John,” he said, whispering. “When will you two be back?”

“Around ten days, I think,” John replied. “I’ll come back maybe a little earlier than that. I met a hot guy on the beach yesterday. I hope he will be still around when I come back.”

Billy could this time not hold back rolling his eyes.

“Did you…?”

“Let him fuck me? Hell no. I’m not as easy as everyone assumes,” he laughed. “Talked and went for a walk. Talked for hours actually, never had that with anyone than Ben before, you know, like being able to just talk and talk and talk? He’s a little older, but really sweet and funny. Hey, maybe I can get myself a sugar daddy, after all I’m a beach bum and need someone to take care of me,” John continued with a wink and then turned to walk away.

Billy turned himself and started his way back to the shack, where his life now was. As lonely as before he had met Ben.

“Billy?”

He turned around and looked at John who had called him.

“I’ll tell him you’re waiting for him.”

He nodded and tried to smile.

But his heavy heart did not allow to feel hope anymore.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guest appearance by three idiots from another fandom, who sneaked their way into my brain!

Ben had not answered his texts or replied his desperate message that he left on his mailbox. He hoped that Ben at least had listened to him begging and wanting to know where he was, that he wanted to come and see him, to be with him, to have a good time, forget the worries and that he was an idiot. But not a word had come back from Ben and Billy had been without sleep the last two nights, had cried and screamed, had thrown things, had broken his laptop and destroyed some work he had not saved in the cloud but on his hard-drive, but that was not important to him anymore. What was important was that Ben returned to him. He still wanted to save his job, somehow, and he prayed for a miracle. He wanted that Ben came back and that he could tell him that they would have the foundation for their life together, that they would be able to have a home somewhere, and that they would not have to worry about tomorrow. But even if not, he had realized, it did not matter. It was just a job, it was just money. Ultimately, there would be another job and he would still be able to make Ben happy and carefree. He wanted his husband to keep smiling and living the way he was used to, and he could only do that if he had a well paid job.

He closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to get rid of the constant headache that did not leave him alone anymore.

The knowledge that right now, three floors above him, Rogers and Guthrie were in a meeting with the investors that Rogers brought on board, did not help his mood and the headache in the slightest. Instead, his temples and his jaw were in pain and he just wanted to go home and curl into a ball on the bed he had shared with Ben just two days ago.

Sighing he leaned back and looked back at the screen of his computer, where he had made some adjustment to the foyer of the hotel, but it was useless as long as he did not know what they would want, what they would need. And it looked, shit. Like the design Hornigold had finally agreed on looked like shit. It was cold and at the same time somewhat too much, not the stylish and sophisticated design Billy had originally presented to him, with arches and a fountain in the center of the foyer. It had been gorgeous and had given the impression of a welcoming and relaxing place. But no, Hornigold, after having conferred with Guthrie who had not supported his architect's opinion, had changed almost everything that Billy had put countless hours into. He had been surprised that Rogers had rolled his eyes at Hornigold behind his back when he had announced what Billy should changed and had later told him that he thought that Hornigold was making a mistake. He had never liked Rogers, and he knew that Rogers did not like him, but as a co-worker he was decent and had always been fair. Billy wished to be able to talk to him about this shitshow, and to hear what he thought about all this, but that was not an option. Before he went down, Rogers would push Billy without hesitation over the edge of a cliff.

Angry with the whole situation, the mess his life had become in the recent past, Billy threw his ball pen across the room.

“Hey, what did this poor pen do to you?”

Billy looked up, and saw the smug face of Rogers who was leaning in the door to his office.

“Shouldn't you be in the meeting, securing yourself the job?” Billy asked, not able to hold back the sharpness. God, how much he wanted to just punch the smile off Rugers' face.

“I am,” Rogers said. “Actually, I'm here because of that. The investors want to meet you and discuss if the changes they have in mind will be feasible.”

Billy raised his brows.

“I'm not prepared,” he replied.

“It doesn't matter if you're prepared or not. They traveled here from Europe, and you will talk to them. Now.”

Rogers' tone had become sharper, his eyes narrowed.

“When have you become my boss?” Ben asked, but started shoving some paperwork into a grey folder that he would need to present possible adaptations.

Rogers did not give a reply, instead he grinned at Billy.

“So, what can you tell me so I don't embarrass you or Guthrie in front of the investors?”

Rogers nodded shortly.

“They seem to be interest, but they're excellent poker players and let not show what their aim ultimately is. Asking a lot of questions about permissions, options. They are pretty damn well prepared, have some design ideas that they also want to discuss with you, about moving walls and a ceiling they want changed,” Rogers looked a little annoyed. “Seriously, how they got this ton of information within the few days since I contacted them, we'll never know.”

Billy got up and put his suit jacket on and corrected his tie.

“They're stressing Guthrie, and Eleanor has only eyes for the company's designer and he's flirting shamelessly with her.”

Billy could not hold back a smirk.

“Cheating on you already? Why am I not surprised?”

“We're not together,” Rogers grumbled.

“Shame. You'd make a good couple,” Billy remarked.

“Like you and your husband?”

The amusement and sarcasm were not hidden in Rogers' words.

“What about me and Ben?”

“Oh, is that his name?”

“Why do you care what my husband's name is?”

“Can't I care about my co-worker?”

“You cared enough to fuck my girlfriend. You're interested in ass too? Sorry that I have to disappoint you, but Ben is not Eleanore. He's not a cheater.”

Rogers laughed.

“And you know that after knowing him for what? A week?”

“I've known him long enough to know he's the one for me. Seems you can't say about yourself that you've found someone like that, so shut the fuck up, Rogers.”

They had taken the stairs to get to the upper floor where the meeting was held in one of the conference rooms, not the same one they had the meeting last week. The one Rogers was leading him to had windows overlooking the park next door, not that it would matter at this height.

Like every time Billy was entering a meeting with strangers, he was suddenly nervous and felt a certain nausea that he tried to hide. His height let him appear confident and strong, but at times like this, and without the turmoil his private life had thrown him into, he felt nothing but weak.

“Ready?” Rogers asked before he opened the door, and Billy nodded.

As soon as the door was opened and Rogers had entered, a small dog came dashing into Billy's direction and started yipping and growling, which was somewhat adorable and would have been intimidating, had the dog not had the size of Billy's foot and looked like an angry and very fluffy hedgehog.

“Louis, stop that this moment, or I will lock you into my suitcase!” An accented and smooth voice said and a man stood up and came to his help while the dog, Louis, was jumping up Billy's leg like he was barking up a tree.

“I'm so sorry, he is always a little upset with strangers,” the man said, picking the dog up who was dangerously growling at him. A man with a dark-blonde mustache and sparkling blue eyes looked up at him, the brows suddenly knit together. “Billy? Billy fucking Bones?”

Billy frowned.

He had not heard the nickname he had gotten during his university days in Europe since then. Given to him by a fellow student after he had, by mistake, broken someone's arm during a self defense lesson.

He blinked.

“Oh mon dieu,” the other said. “Do you get enough air up there to get the blood flowing through that brain of yours? Or do you really have no idea who I am.”

Billy blinked again.

“Lo...Lorraine?”

Lorraine showed the brightest of smiles, still petting the dog's head, who was slowly calming down and huffed annoyed that he could no longer attack the new person in the room, the little muzzle snarling at him.

“Louis, be kind. This is Billy,” Lorraine said and kissed the dog's head, who actually snapped at him. “Little devil.”

“How...what...?” Billy made, but Lorraine, still grinning, slapped his arm and turned, dragging him with himself closer to the table, where Billy now saw the other two men attending the meeting that did not belong to Guthrie's company.

On the right, a bit away from the others sat a man with dark, almost black eyes and a well trimmed goatee and mustache, short black hair with the first silver streaks cut short. He wore a slate suit and black shirt, and was looking remarkably bored, but still with eyes that were wide awake.

The other was someone that Billy took a moment to recognize, and still unable to process this all in his brain, the man got up and went around the table until he stood in front of Billy, smiling softly. His eyes were a mesmerizing crytal blue and his black hair was at chin's length and was falling in soft waves. He was of a slender build and had a porcelain like skin, and was, next to Ben, probably the most beautiful man he had ever seen. He did not look a lot anymore like the younger version he had met in Paris ten years ago, but those eyes, smart, calculating and still filled with a certain melancholy, were not easy to forget.

“Billy,” he said, his voice soft as velvet. “This is a surprise. I read Manderley on the plans, but I did not dare to hope it would be you behind this work.”

“Philippe?” He asked, and Philippe nodded and he noticed how both men tried to keep it professional, or more Philippe did, because this moment Lorraine decided to give Billy a tight hug, still chuckling in delight.

“I don't know what to say,” Billy said, feeling a little speechless, but starting to smile. Noticing how Philippe rolled his eyes at Lorraine.

“We have time to talk later, I hope, let's get this done,” Philippe said then and went back to his place.

Lorraine gave Billy a wink and followed him, dropping the still angry dog into the third man's lap, who looked at it like Lorraine had smeared dirt onto his designer suit.

“Watch him, will you, Fabien?”

Fabien, whoever that was, nodded and started a staring duel with the dog who growled at him until the man drew his lips into a snarl and the dog immediately went still.

“You named your dog Louis?” Billy asked while taking a seat.

“He's small, angry, and is an attention whore. Like Louis,” Lorraine said with a shrug, and Billy laughed at that.

It was Guthrie who cleared his throat, but while Lorraine smiled with a hint of arrogance, Philippe stared a hole into the older man.

“You know each other?” Rogers asked.

“Oh, Billy and we go way back, to when we all were studying at the Sorbonne,” Lorraine said, winking at Billy, who took a seat next to Eleanor. “We have not seen each other for, what is it now? Ten years?”

Billy nodded.

“Something like that, yes,” he replied. “A long time.”

Both Philippe and Lorraine smiled at him.

“So, to summarize what we were discussing before you were allowed to join us,” Philippe said a little annoyed and with a look at Eleanor. “We represent, as you will assume Hotel Versailles, and are very interested in purchasing the hotel you've built for the Hornigold Group. Louis would have attended himself, but he is busy with...things. I am in charge, Lorraine is out head designer and will want to discuss possible changes we demand to agree to this business deal.”

Billy nodded.

Lorraine took the tablet he had in front of him and was scrolling through some files until he opened one that showed the blueprint of the hotel that Billy had designed. It was the final design that Hornigold had agreed on.

“We think of enlarging the foyer, making the bar area smaller and instead creating a bar space that will lead onto the western terrace through several arches. I'm not sure what is with this space in the foyer. It is already very spacious, which gives me the idea that something else was planned there previously? Was the front desk moved to the center? Though that would make the space behind useless,” he said, pointing at several areas on the blueprint.

Billy smiled.

“Here,” he pointed to the space that Lorraine had been talking about. “This area was designed to hold a fountain. I have the original plans here. To be honest, they are already a lot like the things you just suggested.”

He opened the folder and handed copies of blueprints over the Lorraine who put them onto the conference table. Immediately he and Philippe looked at the plans and started whispering to each other in French.

“Why were we not given these plans?” Philippe inquired, the voice sharp as a sabre. “We had inquired to be given documentation of every planning stage.”

“This is not what was built,” Rogers said, sounding a little apologetic.

“And this is not what we inquired, was it?” Philippe gave back. “We want to make changes to make this a Versailles hotel, which means open planning, windows, light, grace. And not...this,” he said waving at the plans that were already on the table.

Lorraine sighed dramatically.

“This is almost exactly what we had in mind, Billy,” he smiled. “It would have saved a lot of time and work if we had known about this. Was it built with these plans or with the newer ones?”

“With these. The changes were made after the basic construction already stood,” Eleanor said, looking at Lorraine, who smiled at her with a raised brow, and Billy could almost feel how his former girlfriend was beaming at the charming Frenchman.

“That means the statics of the building will carry if we change it back,” Philippe remarked and nodded. “That is very good. Very good.” He put a hand, decorated with a gold ring on his pinky, onto the table. “I suggest a coffee break.”

He did not wait for a reply, instead he got up and whispered something into Lorraine's ear that prompted the other man to laugh and follow him to the seating area on the balcony, where an assortment of refreshments was waiting for them.

“Take this back,” the man called Fabien hissed towards Lorraine when he passed him and with another laugh, he took the dog from him and cradled Louis in his arms.

“Will you come, Billy?” Philippe asked, and Billy followed a little hesitant, unsure how his boss would react to the fact that the guests were preferring his company.

Philippe leaned against the balcony railing, and now Billy took in his graceful appearance in a dark suit and shirt, that was finished with a large bow around his neck, tight pants and boots, and a piece of clothing that resembled a skirt. He looked like a top model and not like the businessman who had just made Rogers speechless. His smile though was still that of the shy boy Billy and Lorraine had met at university.

“Were you always this tall?” Lorraine asked and popped a grape into his mouth, taking a place so close to Philippe that their legs touched.

“I guess so,” Billy laughed.

“Funny how small the world sometimes is,” Philippe said, nudging Lorraine's side and leaning a little into him, making Louis yip and wag his tail.

“Do you want into your papa's arms, little love?” Lorraine cooed at the dog and handed him over to Philippe, who smiled and buried his nose in the dog's soft fur.

“What breed is Louis?” Billy asked.

“Oh, Louis is pure French, a little asshole sometimes but we love him. He tends to disturb us in the most private moments and sometimes, he gets really annoyed with me and threatens to fire me...”

Billy frowned and Philippe rolled his eyes.

“Oh. You meant the dog,” Lorraine grinned. “He's a Pomeranian.”

Billy laughed at the antics of the designer, who wore an open black shirt and tight fitting grey pants that were hugging his straight legs.

“My husband has a pit-bull staffordshire mix. Mouse is the sweetest dog in the world, but I think he would have Louis for breakfast.”

Philippe's eyes widened, while Lorraine stared at Billy with raised brows.

“Did you say...”

“...husband?”

Billy pressed his lips together, but then he smiled and nodded.

“Yeah. I got married ten days ago,” he replied.

Lorraine gave him a tight hug and laughed, clapping his back.

“That is wonderful! Congratulations. We four should go for dinner soon to catch up.”

Philippe nodded, but his left eyes twitched a little, like it had back then when he noticed something that was invisible to others.

“We should, yes,” Billy said. “And you two, are you together again?”

Lorraine looked with an almost dreamy expression at the other Frenchman at his side.

“We are,” Philippe replied. “For almost six years.”

“The last thing I had heard was you separated when...”

“When I married, yes,” Philippe nodded. “My wife died six years ago. Lorraine has been at my side ever since.”

“Not going anywhere ever again. Not even your brother can chase me away a second time.”

Lorraine looked at something, or someone, behind Billy, and just when the moment was right, he pressed a kiss to Philippe's cheek, who blushed a little.

“Did you just wait to kiss me until Miss Guthrie was looking our way?” Philippe asked.

Lorraine shrugged.

“She was flirting, I thought it better to show her who I belong to than tell her,” he said, making Philippe shake his head, but he smiled.

Billy chuckled.

“You have not changed in the slightest,” he said.

“And he never will.”

“That is mean, Mignonette.”

Philippe smiled.

“We should return before Miss Guthrie has an aneurysm. I think she is not believing her eyes.”

“Do I look like I care?”

Billy followed the bickering couple back to the table, where they took their places. Fabien told Philippe something in French, and Billy only caught that someone called Marie-Louise was mentioned and that Philippe replied that he would call her after the meeting.

“I think we can cut it short from here,” Philippe started as soon as the others had taken her place. “We are interested in buying the hotel and add it to our locations. We will contact my brother and discuss some details with him, and our legal department will draw up a first draft of the contract within the next days.”

“But...,” Guthrie said, a deep frown between his eyes.

“But what?” Lorraine said. “Were you not interested in selling the property?”

“Of course we are, Monsieur Bourbon,” the older man replied quickly. “I'm just surprised that you make such a decision without consulting your brother first.”

“Did you not listen? I just said we will confer with my brother, he is the one to make the final decision and he would be here were his wife not on her death bed,” Philippe hissed, and even the seemingly always charming and amusing Lorraine frowned while dark clouds appeared on Fabien's face. “We will contact you. The changes we want made, we will decide if we will commission your company or another contractor with those. We will keep you posted.”

And with that, Philippe nodded into Fabien's direction and Lorraine put the tablet into a case and smiled brightly at Eleanor.

Billy said his goodbyes, surrounded by Guthrie's staff and Rogers, who was trying to talk to Philippe, while Eleanor was crowding up on Lorraine, who started to get more and more annoyed. He was sure, if his former friends wanted to contact him, they now knew where he worked, at least for now, and sneaked out of the conference room.

They had looked so good, so handsome, gorgeous even, in their bespoke suits and bright smiles. The confidence Philippe had oozed when he remembered a withdrawn boy in the shadow of his older brother, had intimidated him.

While Philippe was running business deals for his brother, Lorraine his head designer, he was about to lose his job, and worse, his husband. He wanted to be happy for them, knowing of the complications their relationship had once hit, but instead he felt a hint of jealousy.

He opened the door to the staircase, when a hand on his arm stopped him.

When he turned around, he looked into the pale eyes of Philippe Bourbon. He looked concerned, almost worried.

“Billy, is everything okay?” He asked.

Billy nodded.

“Yes,” he replied. “Yes, everything is okay.” He swallowed to hold back the tears that were welling up in him for no apparent reason, overwhelmed by the emotions that these past days had put on his shoulders. “No, that's a lie.”

Philippe looked at him for a while, then he nodded too, a little line appearing between his brows.

“I think we should talk.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of MonChevy, and Billy realizes something about Ben he did not know.

The next time Billy met Philippe Bourbon, the French businessman looked different from the black clad man whose eyes did not accept any resistance.

He was sitting on the beach the next day, his feet in the sand and was watching the waves, close to the shack in which he still lived in. There had still be no word from either Ben or John, and while he was worried, he was mostly just sad. Maybe this meant that Ben had given up on them completely and that he stood no longer a chance to make up and apologize. His words had been harsh and he had not meant to make Ben feel worthless, but he had and he could not take back what he had said. He could only hope that Ben would accept an apology if he was given the chance.

He could not say how long he had been in thought like that, but when he looked up, he saw a couple and a dog walking on the beach, the tiny dog barking at the waves and the two men walking barefoot in the sand. One of them was talking and gesturing, the other had his hands in the pockets of his striped bermudas and nodded to something that the other said. Philippe and Lorraine, who they had started to call by his last name because his given name had been Philippe too and it was...confusing.

Billy forced himself to smile when the two men walked up to him. Philippe's hair was windswept and the white polo he was wearing was closed to the top button, giving him an almost school boy like look. His skin was pale, but it always had been, and the large sunglasses on his face covered most of it. Even in those casual clothes he still looked stylish and Billy was sure that polo and shorts were made by some hip designer he had never heard off. Lorraine on the other hand wore cut off jeans and a striped shirt, and on top of that a knit cardigan. His hair too was windswept and he had foregone a shave in the morning, showing some stubble on his handsome face.

“Billy,” Philippe said with a nod, while Lorraine gave a little wave.

“Hey you two,” Billy smiled. “Enjoying the beach?”

“It's cold? Why is it cold? I thought it would always be warm in California?” Lorraine complained, making Philippe roll his eyes.

“First of all, it's not always warm in California. And second, it is not cold. You're always freezing.”

“You can warm me, Mignonette,” Lorraine said and looked over his shoulder. “I go and see where Louis is before he tries for a swim to Hawaii.”

Philippe laughed and watched for a moment how his boyfriend left and shouted something French, if Billy was right he called the little dog an “ungrateful little idiot of a hedgehog”, before he sat down next to Billy in the sand.

“It is nice here,” Philippe said. “Relaxed. I like it. I think it's a great location for a hotel.”

Billy nodded.

“It is. Guthrie has petitioned that this is made a private beach for the hotel, he's waiting for the city council's reply.”

Philippe frowned and took his glasses off.

“That's stupid. The life here on the beach is only possible by the people who come here. It's not overrun like other beaches and the surfers and the people walking their dogs here, that's just beautiful and so relaxing,” he told Billy his opinion. “Access to the beach should not be exclusive to hotel guests.”

Philippe raised a brow at the smile that Billy could not hide.

“What?” He asked.

“We live over there,” he said, pointing towards the shacks that were only party hidden by the vegetation. “If Guthrie's plan goes through, wed lose our home.”

“You...live over there?” Philippe asked, surprised.

“Yes, my husband is, well, he lives on the beach, I kind of joined him here.”

“You make me curious. How did you meet, he sounds like he is very different from you.”

“Oh, Ben is,” Billy said, at the thought of his husband warmth rising in him. “He's kinda living into the day, bit of a hippie I guess. I wish I could be like that, but then, someone has to have a job and make a little money.”

Philippe laughed.

“That is true,” he said, looking over to Lorraine, who was standing, the legs of his jeans rolled up, in the shallow water, shouting in an very angry tone towards Louis who was swimming. “This dog, he is nothing but trouble. Just like his owner.”

“Lorraine will never change, will he?”

“God, I hope not,” Philippe sighed with a smile that spoke of nothing but love for the other man.

Billy watched Philippe for silent minutes, comfortable like he had always felt in the company of his university friend.

He remembered the boy Philippe had been. Youngest son of one of the richest families of Europe, a name everyone knew and accordingly he was treated like a spoiled brat and like he was some kind of royalty, but Philippe, as snappy and sarcastic he was, was shy and insecure. He was still a little chubby, had not lost his babyfat yet and his gorgeous face was a little round, the hair in a weird short haircut that his unruly waves were always messing up. The wrong people tried to be his friends, rich people who wanted to be with him only for his name and not for the person that hid behind the confident demeanor he acted in public, and soon Philippe ran in circles that were not good for him. Drugs and alcohol were the result, until he collapsed on a party and it was two other guests who took the boy, abandoned by his so-called friends, to the hospital – William Manderley and Philippe Lorraine, architecture and interior design majors. While Billy had been a loner and only went to the party because it took place in the building where he lived, Lorraine was popular and had the reputation of a playboy and manslut. Much later, Billy learned that Lorraine and Philippe had hooked up before but that Lorraine did not think he would have a chance with someone like Philippe and had pushed him away. But from that night on, not only the relationship between the three of them, but also the relationship between Philippe and Lorraine had started to grow and soon they were a devoted couple and nothing seemed to come between them. Billy had only spent two years at the Sorbonne, and they stayed only shortly in contact after he left, a drunk call from Lorraine the last he had heard from him, when he told him, heavily intoxicated, that Philippe had broken up with him. From the news, Billy had heard that Philippe married the heiress of an English hotel group his family's company was merging with, and since Billy knew that Philippe was gay and not bi like himself, he could be certain that what ended a few years later in Philippe's wife's death was no happy marriage. Billy had not followed his former friend's lives and there had be no contact for years and so he had not known that Philippe and Lorraine had reconciled, but he was happy when he now looked at them being again devoted to each other and obviously happy, with Philippe being very comfortable with himself and his relationship, oozing the confidence that he had not had when he was younger.

He had not noticed Philippe having turned his attention towards him and blushed a little at the knowing smile his friend showed.

“When he heard of Henriette's death, he came, and he never left again,” Philippe only said.

“I'm happy for you,” Billy said, but he knew that his eyes betrayed him when Philippe tilted his head slightly to the side, like he always had done when he was seeing something other people could not.

“But you are not,” Philippe said. “You just married, you should be beaming with happiness, and yet you look troubled.”

Billy sighed and looked at his feet that were moving in the sand, nervous and insecure, as if he was looking for something to ground him.

“I made a mistake. I insulted Ben and he left. Right now, I'm not sure he will come back.”

Philippe's eyes widened for a second.

“Have you called him?”

“Not answering.”

The Frenchman pressed his lips together.

“Tell me what you did.”

Billy took a deep breath, not really wanting to remember the morning a few days ago, and closed his eyes.

“I'm about to lose my job after the Hornigold mess, Guthrie is looking for an excuse to get me fired,” he started, but Philippe interrupted him.

“But why? You planned this hotel. It's gorgeous and we are going to buy it. Louis is having the contracts prepared. To be honest, we at Versailles have no architect who could have done this.”

“I was dating his daughter until recently. I wanted to propose to her, but then I found her, well, fucking Rogers,” he said, avoiding Philippe's eyes that did still look at him.

“When was that?”

“Uhm, two weeks ago?”

Philippe blinked. And blinked again.

“And, when did you meet Ben?”

“The same evening,” Billy said, heat creeping up his cheeks and he knew he was blushing in a deep shade of red.

“But, you are married to him, non?” Philippe asked. “When...”

“Right away. We married not even twelve hours after we met.”

Philippe leaned back a little and and looked at Billy, taking in his face and the sadness in his eyes.

“That is...fast.”

“Don't tell me it was a mistake,” Billy said, maybe a little too fast. “That's that last thing I need to hear.”

“I was not going to say that. I met Lorraine and I knew he was the one for me, even if it took some time for me to be brave enough to make him mine.”

“Are you?”

“Married? No,” Philippe looked at Lorraine who was still playing with their dog. “I love him, God knows I do. But I don't know if he wants to marry me. I'm not the easiest person to be around.”

“And yet here he is,” Billy added.

“Do you love Ben?”

Billy looked at Philippe and then slowly nodded.

“What did you do that he ran away?”

A tear escaped Billy's eyes.

“I'm so worried about my job. I'm worried about the future. How will be able to live when we make no money? I want Ben to stay as carefree as he is, I don't want him to change, and I want to provide for him. I told him that.”

Philippe again tilted his head.

“You said something else,” he remarked.

“He said it won't be bad if I lost my job and that I should go on his surfing trip with him,” he started, closing his eyes again to shut out the shame. “I said that not everyone can be a beach bum.”

He noticed that Philippe stopped breathing and when he looked at him, there was a deep frown between Philippe's eyes.

“So, to make it clearer for me, you told your husband, the man you are in love with, that he is a useless hobo?”

“Not in those words.”

Philippe raised his brows, his expressive eyes telling Billy that he was the idiot he already thoght he was.

“Well, he left and did not even tell me where he is going, and he is not answering my texts of calls. He leaves my texts unread.”

“Would you not be upset?”

“Of course I would. But I would give him a chance to make up and explain, and tell him that I want him to be happy and that I love him!”

“You have not told your husband that you love him?” Lorraine asked, having approached them again, Louis yipping around his legs. “You're an idiot.”

“Not helping,” Billy said.

Lorraine dropped into the sand, his hand stroking automatically Philippe's leg, a gesture that showed Billy once again that some god of fate that meant these two men to be together, and he wanted Ben to be the same for himself. And maybe it could have been, had he not fucked everything up with his stupid remark.

“Can I ask something, Billy?” Philippe asked, and Billy confirmed with a nod. “What does Ben do for a living?”

Billy pressed his lips together.

“I don't know,” he said. “It never came up and I just, I don't know. God, I'm such an idiot.”

“You are indeed,” Lorraine said.

“You have to find out where he is and go to him,” came from Philippe.

Billy's mouth turned into an expression that showed resignation.

“I don't know how. I only know his and his best friend's numbers, and both are ignoring me, and I can't even blame him. His other friends, they are all not here anymore, moved probably to another beach.”

“There must be a way,” Philippe said, touching his arm in confirmation. “We will find a way to help you, my friend.”

He frowned when the phone in Lorraine's pocket played the Imperial March and he other man rolled his eyes, fishing his phone out of his pocket, answering it with a smile in French.

“It's Fabien,” Philippe said with a chuckle. “We kinda skipped his watch when we went to the beach, he's probably looking for us.”

“I feel stupid for asking, but who is Fabien?”

“Oh,” Philippe grinned. “He's Louis' head of security, well, he's a glorified bodyguard and even if he doesn't want to hear it, he's a good friend. Back to your husband, we need to find out where he went. Do you have passwords for his email or something like that?”

“No,” Billy said, resignation getting stronger and stronger. “God, Philippe, I want him back. I want him so much, you have no idea.”

Philippe looked at Lorraine.

“I think I do. I would go crazy if I lost him again.”

“You better,” Lorraine said, ending the call. “Fabien is angry that we left without telling him, he was close to call the police that you have been kidnapped. I am a little angry with him that he did not care for my safety.”

“You know Fabien,” he turned his attention back to Billy. “Is there really nobody you know around here that knows Ben better?

Billy shook his head no.

“Philippe, I don't think he will come back after what I said. I just want to tell him that I love him, that I want to be with him, even if we have to live for the rest of our lives in a shack at the beach. Hell, I would even take his name. Billy Gunn has a nice ring to be honest."

Lorraine's eyes went wide. Philippe stared.

“Gunn,” Lorraine said.

“Your husband's name is Ben Gunn?” Philippe asked.

Billy looked at them, confused.

“What is wrong?” He asked.

Lorraine and Philippe exchanged a look, and then Lorraine started to scroll through something on his phone.

“Your husband is on Aruba,” Philippe said.

“Aruba? What? How? I mean...what?”

Lorraine handed him his phone and he looked at the screen, where he saw the website of Hotel Versailles' beautiful location on the Netherlands Antilles, that was announcing that they were hosting the start of this year's WSL Tour.

Billy stopped breathing.

The picture showed a gorgeous red haired woman and a blond man, who wore a bright smile and had his arm around her shoulders, both making a Shaka sign with their free hands.

The neoprene the man wore was turquoise and white, and he wore patches of his sponsors, and Billy recognized the logos of huge companies that he knew - Starbucks, Nissan, Nike, Adobe, and IBM.

The caption read “Former year's WSL Championship Tour Champions Anne Bonny and Ben Gunn”.

Billy stared at the man in the picture. The blond hair messy from water and wind, the skin golden and the smile happy and bright.

“Are you telling me...,” he said, the voice a whisper.

“I'm telling you that your husband is not a beach bum, as you put it, he is the current champion of the World Surfing League.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it folks!
> 
> With this chapter, I'm wrapping this story up. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did.

Billy had problems getting a flight to Aruba on such short term, but finally he had gotten to set his feet onto the island he had always dreamed about visiting, actually had planned to suggest the spot in the Caribbean as the destination for the honeymoon he had imagined to share with Eleanor. That he now had went here to try and get his husband back seemed like a weird twist of fate.

The dry heat hit him when he left the airport of Oranjestad and went to look for a rental to get to the hotel. Philippe had saved the directions into his phone and after finally sitting in the white jeep he rented and was on the street, he still was not able to relax. The houses of the island's capital and then the beach on his left side where both nothing he really took in. His mind was focused on the one task he was here for, and that was sadly not enjoying a cocktail on the beach, exploring the island, swimming in the turquoise and probably warm water, or the amenities of the luxury hotel he would be staying at.

It had been Lorraine who had, with a wink to Philippe, insisted that he would be staying in Hotel Versailles on their invitation and not in a cheaper hotel, and had without waiting for his consent made a few calls to someone called Bontemps and had arranged that a room was booked for him.

He did not know anything about the schedule of a pro surfer, if they could stay here for a few more days, or whether they had to leave as soon as possible for the next location on the tour.

While on the flight, he had googled Ben, and had learned a few things about him. Maybe he should not have done it, but he wanted to know more about the man he was married to, wanted to tell him about himself too.

Ben was a two time WSL Championship Tour Champion, had high caliber sponsors and put a lot of attention that his sponsors were environment friendly companies, which impressed Billy but did not surprise him. He was born in Scotland, but moved with his parents to South Africa as a child, where he started surfing before he set foot into a school. With the sponsors and prize money he earned in the last years, he did not need to ever work again. He had a house on Hawaii, where he and John Silver, who had placed last year second in the championship after his best friend, lived close together on the beach. Ben was gay, no surprise to Billy, and out, which was obviously still rare in the world of pro sports, and was considered a gay icon. His gorgeous husband has just signed a contract to be testimonial for a men's fragrance.

Billy found himself overwhelmed by all this. While he was thinking about nothing but his job, Ben had a whole life with so much on his plate that he was surprised that he was still such a relaxed man.

He had been on a short vacation with John when the latter had been attacked while surfing by a shark. An accident that had cost the pro his left leg and his career. It was a riddle to Billy that John still was the cheerful man he had met and hoped to call friend as well considering this, but maybe he hid a lot of the dark clouds that troubled him behind this cheerful mask. Ben had mentioned that he was worried about his friend since the accident, but John had lost more than just a limb. He had lost part of a future he probably had planned out for himself.

The lady at the frontdesk of the hotel welcomed him with a friendly smile and handed him an envelope and the keycard to his room that was located on the fourth floor. Like all Versailles hotels this was no skyscraper as well and instead went for a more cozy and exclusive look that took some of the locations architecture and mirrored them in their own building. This morning, when Guthrie had finally fired him like he had expected, he had accepted that termination with a grin after Louis Bourbon, Philippe's brother, had yesterday sent him an email with a job offer to work in the architectural department of his company, enabling him to work mostly from home and only have to attend meetings wherever a project required him too. Everything looked really good, but he wanted to talk to Ben before he accepted the offer, which Louis, who he talked to on the phone shortly, agreed too and told him that the position would wait for him until he was ready to make the decision.

The room he entered made him stop in his tracks, turn back and look at the room number once again. He was in the right place, but the room that Lorraine had booked for him was not just a room, it was a suite with a breathtaking look right over the ocean and beach.

He only freshened up a little and then made his way down to just that beach, where he found crowds, camera teams and surfers, telling him he was in the right spot. Part of him had hoped that he would find Ben before he went into the competition, it would make it harder for him to find him among these people.

There was a security tape that separated audience from the area where officials and the athletes were busy doing there jobs.

Billy towered most of the people around, but stretched his head to see if he could get a glimpse of Ben or John, but nothing, until his attention was grabbed by the display that showed a slender man with shaggy dark blonde hair riding the waves.

Ben.

Billy looked at his husband doing his ride. He had seen Ben surf before, and had almost admired how graceful he was and how effortless his movements seemed. But now, in not the almost calm waters of the coast where they had spent time together, but in a tide that looked dangerous to him, it was stunning. Ben flipped the board, surfed several tunnel waves, and finally reached the beach still on his board. He raised his fist into the sky and his laughing face made Billy happy beyond words.

He decided to go for it and bowed underneath the security tape, but after a few steps, he was stopped by a smaller man with a bald head and a beard, piercing eyes.

"Where do you think you're going, big guy?"

"Uhm...I'm with Ben? Ben Gunn, I mean."

"Are you now? I don't think so. Get your cute ass out of here or I have you taken into custody."

"Aww, Muldoon, I thought you like only my cute ass?"

The man's, Muldoon's, eye lit up at the sound of John Silver's voice, before he paid his attention back to Billy who received a hard shove against his chest.

"Muldoon," John said again, getting closer supported by one crutch and put a hand on his arm. "Stop threatening my friend."

"You know him?"

"I know him. Let him be, okay?" John, the hair in a lose ponytail, wearing a patterned shirt and jeans, said. His skin was a little more tanned, and he smiled. "Hey, Billy. Good to see you."

"Good to see you too, John."

"Who's he?" Muldoon asked, still lingering next to John, the eyes filled with suspicion.

"That's Billy, he's Ben's husband."

Muldoon looked surprised.

"Husband? When the fuck did that happen?"

"While I was in the hospital. What's up with all the questions? Are you writing our biography?"

"You don't tell me anything anymore, Johnny," Muldoon complained.

"That's because we're not together anymore," John said. "Remember? You broke up with me?"

Muldoon winced a little, his eyes a little sad, and Billy thought he would recognize regret in his eyes.

"Yeah, I know, but, John," he said.

"We can talk at the banquet tonight, okay?" John said and leaned a little over and pressed a short kiss to Muldoon's cheek, who nodded and then left Billy and John alone.

"So, you found out," John then said.

"I did, yes," Billy said. "I felt already like an idiot, not I feel like an even bigger idiot."

John nodded.

"You should."

"I want him, John. I want him back, and I want him to be happy."

"What if he wants to be happy without you?"

"I will fight, but I will not force or stalk him. I just want a chance."

John just looked at him for a while, then nodded again.

Then, Ben's best friend gave him a smile that showed that he was supporting him, but it was hesitant and it gave Billy not much hope.

“Shit,” John then said, looking at someone behind Billy and he heard footsteps in the soft sand approaching them.

“Did you see that?” Ben laughed and gave John a hug.

But then his smile froze when he saw the man standing there. Billy was pressing his lips together and feeling a blush creeping up.

“What is he doing here?”

John pushed Ben a little away and glared at his best friend.

“He's standing right there,” he gave back. “Ask him yourself. And be kind.”

Ben looked like he was ready to punch someone, the happiness about his perfect heat gone.

“What are you doing here?” He asked Billy.

“Can we talk? Please?”

“Was me not replying your texts not clear enough?”

“Ben,” Billy replied, feeling ashamed and lost. “It was clear, yes. But I don't want to give you up. I was an idiot. Can't you forgive me?”

Ben stared at him.

“So, you know who I am,” he then said.

“I was told, yes. Why did you not tell me?”

“Because it did not matter what either of us was. I did not care about your job or mine, or anything else. All that mattered was you and I.”

“And you are right to think so. I already said I was an idiot.”

“Are you here because I'm loaded?”

“What?” Billy asked shocked. “No. Of course not. Why would you think that? I only heard yesterday from old friends that you are a worldclass surfer, I tried to get you back before that. Did you not tell him I ran after you?” He asked John.

“He did what?”

“Don't look at me like that,” John said. “I tried to bring up Billy several times and you forbid me, I repeat, you forbid me to ever mention his name again.”

“So, you don't care that I have money?”

“Why would I?”

“What about your job?”

“I got fired this morning, via email, because I left in a time like this,” he said and he saw how the wheels in Ben's brain turned and started to tell him that Billy only cared for the security he could offer him. “And before you assume that I want you back because of your sponsors or whatever, that's not true. I already got offered a new job yesterday. I can work from home, which means I can work from anywhere in the world and I could travel with you. If you want me to, I mean.”

“Then tell me, why do you want me back?”

“Because I love you,” Billy answered immediately.

Ben just looked at him.

Then he swallowed.

Then a sweet smile appeared on his face.

“You love me?”

Billy nodded with a smile.

“I do.”

Before Ben could say anything else, John shouted: “Scores are in!”

They turned to look at the digital panel, where Ben's score for his ride appeared. The audience cheered, John screams and Ben made a fistpump and then jumped up and down with celebrating cheers. Billy had no idea what the numbers that appeared meant, but from the reaction he assumed that is was something very, very good.

Ben laughed and turned back to him and while turning he jumped into Billy's arms. He caught him and found himself embraced by Ben's arms around his shoulders and his legs around his hips. Ben leaned his forehead against Billy's and smiled.

“I love you too,” he whispered and then he kissed him.

A sudden warmth, the sudden emotion of relief and almost unbearable happiness flooded Billy, as did Ben's taste of sea salt and wind. The taste of freedom. The taste and sweet scent that Billy would always link to love and belonging. To Ben.

A camera flash right of Billy went off and he wanted to part from Ben, but he felt his husband smiling against his lips and chasing his tongue with his own, and he could not help but return the first kiss after these days of separation. He wanted to laugh, to cry, to scream and to tell Ben all the things that were going on in his head and in his heart. But most of all, he wanted to hold him close and never let him go again.

“Who is that, Ben?”

“Yeah, tell us who you're Prince Charming is!”

Ben rolled his eyes and still smiled when he parted from Billy, pecking his lips a last time, and winked at the taller man.

“This is Billy. My husband,” he said, his eyes not leaving Billy's, who for a moment held his breath and then he returned the happy smile that Ben wore himself. “And now give us a bit of privacy, guys, will you?”

The cameras flashed a few times more and then Muldoon zoomed into the space between them and the mob of reporters and shooed them away.

“Quite a show you've given the guys there,” John said, pulling a wayward curl behind his ear, grinning brightly. “Did you even notice your score, champ?”

Ben again rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around John's shoulders, leaning into his friend while taking care that he did not put too much of his weight on him and the crutch.

“I saw, yeah,” he said. “Means nothing.”

“No, cause an almost perfect score means nothing,” John snarked. “You got this.”

“This is the first stop of the tour,” Ben remarked.

“Think positive,” his friend added. “You wouldn't have thought you'd meet the man of your dreams during the break. You know, actually you have to thank me.”

“Thank you,” Ben deadpanned. “For?”

“If the fucking shark had not taken a bite out of me cause I'm awesome and taste like raspberries with cream, you wouldn't have been there the day you met him. So, I'm the reason you met.”

Billy and Ben both stared at John, who shrugged.

“I expect presents. Many presents,” he started, but then his eyes focused on something behind them. Or someone. “What the fuck...?” He whispered.

Billy turned around, not noticing anything special, so he turned back to look at john, who's bright blue eyes suddenly got even more intense.

“What is it?”

“Remember the guy I met on the beach the day before we left?” He asked them. Both nodded. So John had told Ben about his encounter as well.

“Yes, your possible sugar daddy,” Billy said, and Ben blinked at him.

“His what?”

“Shut up, Billy,” John hissed.

“So, yeah, we remember you telling us about that. Actually, you have not really shut up that in the last days.” Ben said, accepting meanwhile claps on his shoulders, congratulating him to his good score. “What about him?”

“That over there. That's him.”

Both Ben and Billy turned around and looked into the crowd that was previously behind them, searching without knowing what to search for.

“Who?” Billy finally asked.

John sneaked between them and pointed to a man who was in a conversation with a reporter, which made John frown.

“That...?” Ben started, looking from the stranger to John and back to the stranger. “That man over there?”

John nodded enthusiastically, still grinning.

“He's perfect, isn't he?”

Billy looked at the man he had pointed at. He was attractive, not overly tall, but not small either, definitely taller than John himself. He wore jeans and a black t-shirt and was smiling kindly at the reporter who was talking, nodded something at his words.

“John. You remember how you tried to contact James Flint's people for a collaboration?” Ben asked.

“Yeah, he never got back to me,” John replied, frowning a little now.

Ben took his shoulder and turned him to face the other man.

“That...,” Ben started and Billy looked as well at the man who was stroking strands of his ginger hair out of his freckled and stubbled face, noticing that he was watched and showing a little , more natural smile when he recognized John. “...is James Flint.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about surfing, so please don't shoot me! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Say hello on Twitter:  
https://twitter.com/EAPhoenix22


End file.
